
TO FIND THE TREASURES OF THIS BOOK, 
PLEASE STEP WITHIN AND TAKE A LOOK. 




CAPTIVATING 

IBLE STORIES 

FOR 



THE YOUNG 



BEING AN 



S 



ENTRANCING NARRATIVE OF THE WONDERFUL ^ ^\ 
EVENTS RELATED IN THE OLD AND 
NEW TESTAMENTS 

CONTAINING THE 

Story of the Creation 

NOAH AND THE FLOOD; JOSEril IN EGYPT; MOSES AND THE 

CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ; SAMUEL AND THE JUDGES ; DANIEL 

AND THE CAPTIVITY; THE LIFE, TEACHINGS AND 

DEATH OF CHRIST ; THE APOSTLES AND THE 

GOLDEN DAWN OF CHRISTIANITY, ETC. • , 

ADAPTED TO ALL AGES, BUT ESPEC] 
TO THE YOUNG 




EJWBEIililSHED WITH OVER 250 FU4E IltltUSTHflTIOHS 



NATIONAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

239, 241 & 243 LEVANT STR.EET 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



V 

r 







Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1895 by 

J. R. JONES, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 

All Rights Reserved. 



/ 



PREFACE. 



Ill* 



THERE is one Book that never grows old. Its charming stories 
are always fresh, and are read with eager delight by old and 
young. These captivating narratives are all brought together 
in this beautiful volume. 

The work begins with the marvellous Story of the Creation, pictures 
the beauties of the Garden of Eden, and the awful disaster of the 
flood ; relates the thrilling scenes in the life of Abraham and the 
other Patriarchs, and furnishes a great panorama of the wonderful 
events in the earliest history. 

This is followed by the delightful story of Joseph, who was sold by 
his envious brethren, hurried away to Egypt, adopted into the king's 
family, and finally made ruler of the country. The lessons of his life 
should be read by every boy and girl in the land. He was one of the 
noblest characters of which we have any record. 

Next, we have a glimpse of Moses in his little life-boat, found and 

mothi :ed by a Royal Princess. We see him growing to the fullness 

nhood, becoming leader of his people, and finally breaking their 

ns and bringing them into liberty. He stands at the burning 

tshj he opens a fountain in a rock ; he goes up among the clouds 
of Sinai and receives the tables of the law. This part of the Bible 
story is full of instruction. 

Then grand old Joshua comes forth upon the scene, and the reader 
follows him through his stormy conflicts and brilliant triumphs. Here, 
too, are graphic descriptions of the magnificent achievements of Gideon 
and Samson, telling v/hat wonders they wrought and what valor they 
displayed. Who has not been fascinated by the delightful story of 
Ruth ? This humble but charming woman was an ancestor of Christ, 
and all are interested in the story of her life. 

Every young person follows eagerly the thrilling account of King 

iii 



10 



iv PREFACE 

Saul and King David. We see the strong, misguided yet mighty 
Saul, and also the ruddy shepherd boy whose swift sling slew a giant. 
Then comes Solomon in all his glory, and along in this part of the 
Old Testament Story we see that grand man of the desert, Elijah, and 
follow him through his startling experiences until, in a chariot of fire, 
he is borne away through the cloven heaven. We also read of that 
young patriot Nehemiah, who left the splendors of a palace to rebuild 
the shattered walls of Jerusalem. He accomplished wonders, teaching 
the great lesson of devotion and energy. 

The Bible is a rich store-house of instruction and entertainment. 
How captivating is the story of Queen Esther. She presents a striking 
example of those great crises in which the scale has been turned by 
the power and influence of woman. Other narratives come in thick 
succession. The young are always interested in the story of Daniel. 
Why should they not be ? His strong and beautiful character has a 
peculiar charm, and there are few names in history that shine so 
resplendently. Let his brilliant record be studied by all, whether 
old or young. 

How eagerly the world reads the charming story of Bethlehem — 
the story of the angelic choir ; of the wondering shepherds who 
heard the heavenly anthem of Peace and Good- Will ; of the Holy 
Child laid in the humble manger ; of the burning star that lighted the 
wise men of the East to the feet of the infant Prophet, Priest and King ; 
and the thrilling incidents connected with His life. It would not be 
possible for human pen to depict more vividly those majestic events, 
at once awful and fascinating, which form the closing part of Christ's 
life upon earth. 

These are followed by a full account of the Lives of the Apostles, 
especially that of Paul, the great Apostle, whose influence was felt by 
nearly all the nations of the earth contemporary with himself, and 
will be felt until time shall be no more. 




CHRIST DISPUTING WITH THE DOCTORS. 



"" ' .; ' ",' - 1 ; .. ' ■ ' : ' ;":- 



1% 




: J,/ : ^M'-- 







J 



I 









THE TEMPTATION ON THE MOUNT. 



CONTENTS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

PAGE 

The Creation 17 

The Fall of Man 21 

The Murder of Abel 25 

The Flood 26 

The Decrease of the Waters 30 

The Tower of Babel 35 

The Call of Abram 35 

Destruction of Sodom 43 

Hagar and Ishmael 49 

Abraham offers up Isaac 51 

The Death of Sarah 54 

Isaac and Rebekah 54 

Jacob and Esau 60 

Jacob and Rachel 67 

Meeting of Jacob and Esau 77 

Joseph and his Brethren 81 

Joseph before Pharaoh 87 

The Famine 90 

Benjamin brought to Joseph 94 

Israel goes down into Egyp f 101 

The Finding of Moses 104 

The Burning Bush 110 

The Egyptian Bondage 116 

The Plagues of Egypt 118 

The Plagues of Blood and Frogs 120 

The Plagues of Lice, Flies, Murrain, and Boils 122 

The Plague of Hail 124 

The Plagues of Locusts and Darkness 126 

The Firstborn of Egypt Slain 1 29 

The Israelites go up out of Egypt 133 

The Destruction of Pharaoh 135 

The Israelites Fed with Manna 142 

Moses brings Water from the Rock 146 

The Law Given from Mount Sinai 149 

The Tabernacle and the Priesthood 153 

The People Worship the Golden Calf i 162 

v 



vi CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

The Setting Up of the Tabernacle 167 

The Day of Atonement 171 

The Numbering of the People 174 

The Children of Israel Journey 176 

The People Murmur 177 

The Spies Sent Out 180 

The Israelites Rebel, and are Turned Back to Wander in the Wilderness . . . 182 

Aaron's Rod 185 

The Brazen Serpent 189 

The Death of Moses 192 

Rahab Conceals the Spies 192 

The Israelites Pass over Jordan 196 

The Siege of Jericho 200 

The Trespass of Achan 203 

The Capture of Ai 207 

The Craft of the Gibeonites 211 

Joshua Conquers the Kings of Canaan . 213 

Joshua Divides the Land 215 

The People Renew the Covenant 222 

The Israelites Forsake God 227 

Deborah and Barak Deliver Israel 228 

Gideon is Sent to Deliver Israel 230 

Samson 237 

The Story of Ruth 247 

The Dedication of Samuel 253 

The Philistines Take the Ark 259 

The Israelites Desire a King 263 

Saul Anointed King 265 

Saul Rejected for Disobedience 269 

David Chosen King 271 

David Conquers Goliath 274 

Dnvid and Jonathan 279 

Sa Pursue* after David 287 

Da- Saul's Life the Second Time 291 

The Saul 294 

Davi King of Israel } 294 

The c of Absalom 297 

The Lrcath of Absalom 304 

David Brought Back to Jerusalem 306 

David's Choice 309 

Solomon Anointed King 310 

Solomon's Judgment 313 

The Building of the Temple 315 

The Dedication of the Temple 320 







DRIVING OUT THE MONEY CHANGERS. 




CHRIST AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 



CONTENTS. vil 

PAGE 

The Queen of Sheba 324 

Solomon's Riches : He Forsakes the Lord 326 

Rehoboam : The Revolt of the Ten Tribes 328 

Three Kings of Judah 331 

The Wicked Kings of Israel 332 

Elijah 334 

Elijah and the Prophets of Baal 33S 

The Still Small Voice 342 

Naboth's Vineyard 34(3 

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah 350 

Ahaziah, King of Israel 351 

The Mantle of Elijah 352 

War with the Moabites 354 

The Widow's Oil : The Shunammite 356 

Naaman Healed : The Iron Swims 359 

Ben-hadad, King of Syria, Makes War on Israel 363 

Joash, King of Judah 368 

Death of Elisha 372 

Israel Carried away Captive into Assyria 373 

Sennacherib invades the Land 375 

Hezekiah's Sickness 37 i) 

Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah 380 

The Babylonian Captivity 384 

The Return 386 

The Second Temple 387 

Ezra Goes up from Babylon 392 

The Building of Jerusalem 395 

The Story of Esther 401 

The Advancement of Mordecai 409 

The Story of Job 412 

The Lord Reasoneth with Job 416 

Daniel and his Three Friends 425 

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream 425 

The Three Hebrews in the Furnace 429 

Belshazzar's Feast 432 

Daniel in the Lions' Den 436 

Jonah 439 

THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

The Anunciation 449 

The birth of Jesus Christ 452 

Simeon and Anna 454 

The Wise Men of the East , 455 



viii CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Christ Found in the Temple 458 

John Baptizes Jesus 460 

Disciples Called 462 

The Temptation in the Wilderness 463 

The First Miracle 465 

Nicodemus Comes to Jesus by Night 468 

The Woman of Samaria 469 

The Nobleman's Son ... 472 

Jesus Preaches at Nazareth '. 472 

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes 474 

Jesus Heals the Sick 474 

The Pool of Bethesda .478 

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day 480 

The Apostles Called 482 

The Sermon on the Mount 483 

The Centurion's Servant, and the Widow's Son 490 

The Parable of the Sower . • . . 492 

The Tares, the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, etc 495 

Jesus Calms the Storm 499 

The Herd of Swine 499 

The Daughter of Jairus 500 

Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes 501 

Jesus Walks on the Sea 502 

Jesus the Bread of Life 504 

The Greek Woman . . 507 

Jesus Feeds the Multitude a Second Time 508 

The Transfiguration 509 

Christ Teaches Humility and Forgiveness 512 

The Good Samaritan 515 

Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles 517 

The Light of the World 520 

The Man Born Blind 524 

The Good Shepherd 527 

Jesus Raises Lazarus 530 

Sayings of Christ 534 

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem 539 

The Parable of the Wedding Supper 540 

The Prodigal Son 543 

The Unjust Steward : the Rich Man and Lazarus 546 

Thanks and Prayer 549 

Jesus Blesses the Children 551 

The Laborers 553 

Jesus Goes Up to Jerusalem 554 

The Voice from Heaven 559 



CONTENTS. i\ 

PACK 

The Barren Fig Tree 560 

The Parable of the Wedding Feast 502 

The Widow's Mite 565 

The Destruction of the Temple 565 

The Last Supper 571 

Jesus Prays for His Disciples 577 

Jesus Betrayed and Denied 579 

Jesus Condemned and Crucified 582 

The Resurrection 591 

Appearances of Christ 594 

The Ascension of Christ 597 

The Holy Spirit Given 598 

Peter and John Cure the Lame Man G01 

The Martyrdom of Stephen 602 

The Conversion of Saul 604 

Peter in Prison G08 

Mission of Paul and Barnabas 610 

Paul Preaches at Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth 614 

Butychus : the Elders of Ephesus 617 

Paul Sent unto Felix 620 

Paul Sent to Rome 623 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 

Adam and Eve Driven Out of the Garden of Eden 20 

" In the Sweat of Thy Face Shalt Thou Eat Bread " 22 

Sacrifice of Cain and Abel ' 24 

Noah Commanded to Build the Ark 28 

Noah's Ark Resting upon Ararat 31 

Noah Reaving the Ark, also Noah's Thank-Offering 32 

The Tower of Babel 34 

Abraham's Encampment 36 

Abraham Sees the Promised Laud 37 

God's Promise to Abraham 40 

The Turtle-Dove 41 

The Destruction of Sodom Foretold to Abraham 44 

Lot and His Family Fleeing from Sodom 47 

Departure of Hagar and Ishmael 50 

Abraham Offering Isaac 52 

Four-Horned Ram 53 

The Meeting of Abraham's Servant and Rebekah 56 

Eastern Mode of Giving Drink 57 

Isaac Blessing Jacob 63 

Jacob's Dream 68 

Jacob Meeting Rachel , 70 

Jacob's Departure for Canaan 74 

The Goat of Palestine 75 

The Meeting of Jacob and Esau 79 

Joseph Sold by His Brethren 83 

Sackcloth 84 

Egyptian Carriers or Porters 86 

Egyptian Traders 88 

Salutation 89 

Egyptian Symbols of the Heavens and the Earth 91 

Egyptian Judgment Scene 95 

Joseph Makes Himself Known to His Brethren 99 

Egyptian Wine Press 103 

Embalming the Body of Joseph . .■ 105 

Egyptian King 106 

Pharaoh's Daughter Finding Moses 107 

Egyptian Ladies 108 

Moses Slaying the Egyptian 109 

x 



/-"*?; 



'**$$^ 



■**& 







P 

o 

o 
o 

m 
W 




RAISING THE SON OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xi 

PAGE 

Moses at the Burning Bush ill 

Ancient Sandals 114 

Manufacture of Coffins by Egyptians 116 

Egyptian Taskmaster 117 

Aaron's Rod Changed to a Serpent 119 

Egyptians Winnowing Barley with the Fan 125 

The Plague of Locusts 127 

Ancient Shoes ' 130 

Hyssop Plant 132 

Unleavened Bread 134 

Egyptian Warriors 136 

The Pillar of Fire 137 

Pharaoh's Host Destroyed in the Red Sea 139 

Daughters of Israel Dancing 140 

Palm Tree 141 

Gathering Manna 143 

Aaron and Hur Holding Up the Hands of Moses 147 

Moses Receiving the Tables of the Law 150 

Ten Commandments 151 

An Ephod 154 

The Mercy Seat 155 

Taole of Shewbread— Ark— Golden Candlestick 156 

Fleshhooks Used by the Hebrews 157 

Ancient Lamps 158 

The Holy Place 159 

The Breastplate 160 

Priest— High Priest— Levite , 161 

The Israelites Worshipping the Golden Calf 163 

Altar of Burnt Offering 164 

Moses Destroying the Tables of the Law 166 

Altar of Incense 168 

Outline View of the Tabernacle 169 

Aaron Consecrated 170 

The Scapegoat Sent Away Into the Wilderness 172 

The Laver 173 

High Priest with Sin Offering 175 

Censers . 178 

Bearing the Ark Through the Wilderness 179 

The Spies Returning from Canaan 181 

Aaron's Rod that Budded 186 

Tomb of Aaron 188 

Mount Nebo 190 

Moses Viewing the Promised Land 191 

Ancient Writing Materials 193 



xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

The Plain of Jericho 194 

Ford of the Jordan 199 

The Angel Appearing to Joshua 200 

Priest Blowing the Trumpet 202 

The Priest and Levites Encompassing Jericho 204 

Ancient Swords 208 

View of Nabloos and Mount Gerizim 210 

Skin Bottles 212 

Escaping to a City of Refuge . , .• 217 

Joshua Dividing the Land . . 219 

Joshua Sending Back the Two Tribes and A-Half 221 

Ashtaroth . 226 

Gideon's Offering Burnt by Fire from the Rock 231 

Gideon's Fleece , ... 233 

The Camel Post 235 

The River Jordan ...... 236 

Samson Slaying a Lion 238 

Samson Telling His Riddle ; . 240 

Samson Slaying the Philistines 242 

Samson Caught and Bound by His Foes . . 245 

Samson's Vengeance and Death 246 

Ruth Gleaning in the Fields of Boaz 249 

An Eastern Gateway 252 

Samuel Brought by His Mother to Eli 255 

Eli and Samuel— Here am I, Here am I ; for Thou Didst Call Me 257 

Story of EH Illustrated 258 

Ebenezer , 260 

Dagon 261 

The Ark Taken by the Philistines 262 

Israel Asks for a King 264 

House with a Parapet 266 

Rachel's Sepulchre 267 

Ancient Musical Instruments 268 

Behold He Keepeth the Sheep— The Lord Looketh on the Heart 272 

Samuel Anointing David ac Bethlehem 273 

Shepherd Leading His Flock 276 

Coat of Mail 277 

A Sling 278 

David and Jonathan 280 

David Playing the Harp before Saul 281 

Jonathan's Signal to David to Fly 285 

Parting of David and Jonathan 286 

David Spares the Life of Saul 289 

David Spares the Sleeping Saul 292 





THE ANOINTING IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON 
THE PHARISEE. 




?**4^*:,±'*te4. 



CHRIST RAISING THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xiii 

PAGE 

David Mourning the Death of His Child . 290 

Mosque of Omar, Jerusalem 301 

Mode of Travelling in the East 305 

David's Return to His Kingdom .... 308 

The Story of David 312 

Cedars of Lebanon 310 

I Dwell in an House of Cedar . . . 318 

The Molten Sea 319 

An Ancient Feast 321 

Sacrifice at the Dedication 322 

Fire from Heaven at the Dedication of the Temple 323 

Queen of Sheba Visiting Solomon 325 

Jerusalem and Its Valleys from the South 330 

The Prophet Elijah Fed by Ravens 335 

God's Care of Elijah 330 

The Widow's Son Restored to Life 337 

Elijah at the Mouth of the Cave . 343 

Elijah Casting His Mantle on Elisha 345 

Ahab Covets Naboth's Vineyard 347 

The Body of Jezebel Eaten by Dogs 349 

Elijah and Elisha 353 

Among the Reapers 358 

Elisha Causing Iron to Swim . 302 

A City Captured and the Inhabitants Led Away Captive 305 

The Stoning of Zechariah 371 

An Assyrian King 374 

Hezekiah's Prayer 377 

King Josiah Destroying the Idols . . , 383 

Jewish Scribes 388 

Persian King and Officers of State 390 

Artaxerxes Giving the Letter to Ezra 393 

Rebuilding the Walk of Jerusalem 397 

Ancient Psalteries and Harps 400 

Mordecai Sitting at the King's Gate 405 

Arabian Camels 413 

Oxen Treading Out Corn 414 

Job and His Three Friends 418 

Job Visited by His Relatives 421 

Fault j Must be Cured ; not Endured 423 

Morning, Noon, and Night 424 

Daniel Refusing to Worship the Image 431 

Daniel Interpreting the Writing on the Wall 435 

The Jewish Captives Brought Before Darius 437 

Daniel in the Den of Lions 438 



xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Jonah Cast Into the Sea 440 

The Royal Palace at Nineveh 442 

Jonah Sheltered by the Vine 444 

The Peasant and Prophet 445 

The Annunciation 447 

" No Virtue of More Noble Worth, 

Than Truth from Heaven Brought to Earth " . 448 

My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord 450 

The Angel Announces the Birth of Christ 451 

The Birth of Christ 451 

Simeon and Anna in the Temple 453 

Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart in Peace 454 

Behold the Lamb of God 455 

The Flight Into Egypt— The Death of the Children of Bethlehem 457 

They Sought Him Among Their Kinsfolk and Acquaintance 459 

The Axe is Laid at the Root of the Tree 461 

The Baptism of John 462 

The Temptation on the Mountain 464 

The Miracle in Cana of Galilee , . . . . 466 

Jesus Drives Out the Money-Changers 467 

The Sea of Galilee 471 

The Well or Fountain of Nazareth 473 

Jesus Healing the Sick 475 

The Man Cured of the Palsy 476 

The Disciples Plucking Corn on the Sabbath 481 

The Sermon on the Mount , 485 

Christ Raises the Widow's Son 490 

The Foolish Rich Man 491 

Jesus Preaching by the Sea Side 493 

The Sower— Stony Places 494 

Sowing the Good Seed 496 

Jesus of Nazareth 498 

Christ Raises the Daughter of Jairus 500 

Jesus Supports the Sinking Peter 503 

Get Thee Behind Me 506 

The Tranfiguration 510 

The Priest and Levite Passing by the Wounded Man 514 

Mary and Martha of Bethany 516 

Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles 518 

Mount of Olives 521 

Christ Healing the Blind Man 525 

Robbers and Thieves 528 

The Good Shepherd *. ... 529 

The Raising of Lazarus 533 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xv 

PAGE 

Washing Before and After Meals 535 

Jesus Heals the Infirm Woman 538 

The Destruction of Jerusalem 540 

Jesus Eating with the Publicans 542 

The Lost Sheep 543 

The Prodigal Son 544 

The Return of the Prodigal Sou 545 

The Unjust Steward 547 

The Rich Man and Lazarus 548 

Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me 552 

The Parable of the Vineyard 554 

The Poor Blind Beggar 556 

Zaccheus 557 

Christ's Entry Into Jerusalem 558 

The Guest Who Had No Wedding Garment 563 

Jerusalem in the Time of Our Saviour 566 

The Parable of the Talents 569 

" She Hath Done what She Could " 572 

Jesus Washing Peter's Feet 574 

Mount Moriah, with the Mount of Olives in the Distance 578 

The Betrayal 580 

Christ Before Pilate 584 

Christ Bearing His Cross 586 

Christ Falling Under the Cross 588 

He Died for Me 590 

The Resurrection 592 

The Angel and Women at the Empty Tomb 593 

He is Not Here 594 

Behold, I Stand at the Door, and Knock 596 

The Ascension 598 

Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple 600 

Stephen Stoned to Death by His Enemies 603 

Conversion of Saul 605 

Ananias and Saul 606 

Antioch 607 

Peter Delivered from Prison by an Angel 609 

Paul and Barnabas at Antioch 611 

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra 613 

Paul Preaching on Mars' Hill 616 

Paul Parting from the Elders at Ephesus 619 

Paul Before Felix 622 



THE 

OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



THE CREATION. 

HEAVEN and earth were created by God. The earth did not 
at first appear as it does now. It was without form, and was 
one great waste; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. 
We are told that then the Spirit of God moved upon the face of me 
waters. There was no light until God said, Let there be light; then 
the light burst forth in splendor. And God saw the light, that it was 
good : and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called 
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening 
and the morning were the first day. 

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, 
and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the 
firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament 
from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the 
morning were the second day. 

And God said, Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered 
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of 
the waters called he Seas : and God saw that it was good. And God 
said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the 
fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the 
earth : and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb 
yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was 
in itself, after his kind : and God saw that it was good. And the 
evening and the morning were the third day. • 

2 17 



18 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven 
to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for 
seasons, and for days, and years ; and let them be for lights in the 
firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth : and it was so. 
And God made two great lights ; the greater light to rule the day, 
and the lesser light to rule the night : he made the stars also. And 
God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the 
earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the 
light from the darkness : and God saw that it was good. And the 
evening and the morning were the fourth day. 

Fish in the Waters and Fowl in the Air. 

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving 
creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the 
open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every 
living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, 
after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind : and God saw 
that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and 
multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the 
earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his 
kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: 
and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, 
and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the 
earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, 
Let us make man in our image, after our likeness : and let them have 
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and 
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing 
that creepeth upon the earth. 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created 
he him ; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, 
and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the 
earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and 
over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 19 

the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb 
bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, 
in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it shall be for 
meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, 
and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, 
I have given every green herb for meat : and it was so. And God 
saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. 
And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of 
them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had 
made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he 
had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it : because 
that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 

Man Formed of the Dust of the Ground. 

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when 
they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and 
the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, 
and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not 
caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the 
ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the 
whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the 
dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; 
and man became a living soul. 

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there 
he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made 
the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and 
q;ood for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the warden , and 
the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God took 
the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep 
it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree 
of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowl- 
edge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that 
thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 




20 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 21 

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be 
alone; I will made an help meet for him. And out of the ground 
the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the 
air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; 
and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name 
thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the 
air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found 
an help meet for him. 

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he 
slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead 
thereof; and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made 
he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This 
is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called 
Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man 
leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and 
they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his 
wife, and were not ashamed. 

THE FALL OF MAN. 

NOW the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field 
which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the 
woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree 
of the garden? 

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of 
the trees of the garden : but of the fruit of the tree which is in the 
midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither 
shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for 
God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall 
be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and 
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one 
wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her 
husband with her; and he did eat. And the* eyes of them both were 




22 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 23 

opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig 
leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden 
in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from 
the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where 
art thou ? 

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, 
because I was naked; and I hid myself. 

The Serpent is Cursed. 

And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou 
eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest 
not eat? 

And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, 
she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 

And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou 
hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I 
did eat. 

And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done 
this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the 
field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the 
days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, 
and between thy seed and her seed ; and it shall bruise thy head, and 
thou shalt bruise his heel. 

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy 
conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire 
shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the 
voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded 
thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy 
sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns 
also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the 
herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till 




24 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 25 

thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust 
thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother 
of all living. 

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of 
skins, and clothed them. 

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, 
to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and 
take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore the 
Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground 
from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed 
at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword 
which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

THE MURDER OF ABEL. 

AND Eve bare unto Adam a son, and called his name Cain, and 
said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare 
his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain 
was a tiller of the ground. 

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the 
fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also 
brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the 
Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and 
to his offering he had not respect. 

And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why 
is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be 
accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And 
unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when 
they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and 
slew him. 

And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? 

And he said, I know not: am I my brother's, keeper? 



26 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's 
blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed 
from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's 
blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not hence- 
forth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt 
thou be in the earth. 

And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can 
bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the 
earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and 
a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that 
findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him, Therefore 
whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. 
And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the 
land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And to Cain was born Enoch : and 
Cain builded a city, and called it after his son, Enoch. And unto Enoch 
was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methu- 
sael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 

And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was 
Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he 
was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 
And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as 
handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an 
instructor of every artificer in brass and iron. 

And Eve again bare a son, and called his name Seth : For God, said 
she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 

THE FLOOD. 

AND it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of 
the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons 
of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they 
took them wives of all which they chose. 

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for 
that he also is flesh : yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 27 

years. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the 
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was 
only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made 
man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord 
said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the 
earth ; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of 
the air ; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found 
grace in the eyes of the Lord. 

These are the generations of Noah : Noah was a just man and 
perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah 
begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 

The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled 
with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was 
corrupt ; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 

A Flood of Waters to Destroy all Flesh. 

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me ; 
for the earth is filled with violence through them ; and, behold, I 
will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood ; 
rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and with- 
out with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: 
The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it 
fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou 
make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above ; and the 
door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, 
and third stories shalt thou make it. 

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, 
to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven ; 
and everything that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I 
establish my covenant ; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and 
thy sons, and thy wife, and thy son's wives with thee. 

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou 
bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee ; they shall be male 
and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of -cattle after their kind, 



28 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort 
shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee 
of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee ; and it shall 
be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah ; according to all 
that God commanded him, so did he. 

And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into 
the ark ; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. 
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and 




NOAH COMMANDED TO BUILD THE ARK. 

his female ; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his 
female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; 
to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For yet seven days, 
and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights ; 
and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off 
the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the Lord 
commanded him. And Noah was six hundred years old when the 
flood of waters was upon the earth. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 29 

And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives 
with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean 
beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every 
thing that creepeth upon the earth, there went in two and two unto 
Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded 
Noah. 

And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood 
were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the 
second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were 
all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of 
heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and 
forty nights. 

Noah and his Family Enter the Ark. 

In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and 
Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of 
his sons with them, into the ark ; they, and every beast after his kind, 
and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that 
creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, 
every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, 
two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that 
went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded 
him : and the Lord shut him in. 

And the flood was forty days upon the earth ; and the waters 
increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 
And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth ; 
and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters 
prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were 
under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the 
waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. 

And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of 
cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon 
the earth, and every man: all in whose nostrils was the breath of 
life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance 



30 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and 
cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven ; and they 
were destroyed from the earth : and Noah only remained alive, and 
they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon 
the earth an hundred and fifty days. 

DECREASE OF THE WATERS. 

AND God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the 
cattle that was with him in the ark : and God made a wind to 
pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged ; the fountains 
also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the 
rain from heaven was restrained ; and the waters returned from off 
the earth continually : and after the end of the hundred and fifty days 
the waters were abated. 

And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of 
the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased 
continually until the tenth month : in the tenth month, on the first 
day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen. 

And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened 
the window of the ark which he had made : and he sent forth a raven, 
which went to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the 
earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were 
abated from off the face of the ground ; but the dove found no rest 
for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for 
he waters were on the face of the whole earth. 

And he stayed yet other seven days ; and again he sent forth the dove 
out of the ark ; and the dove came in to him in the evening ; and, lo, 
in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off; so Noah knew thatthe waters 
were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days ; 
and sent forth the dove ; which returned not again unto him any more. 

And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first 
month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off 
the earth : and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, 
behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



31 



on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth com- 
pletely dried. 

And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and 
thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth 
with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, 
and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth ; 




NOAH S ARK RESTING UPON ARARAT. 

that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and 
multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and 
his wife, and his sons' wives with him : every beast, every creeping 
thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after 
their kinds, went forth out of the ark. 

And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord ; and took of every 
clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on 




NOAH LEAVING THE ARK. 




NOAH S THANK-OFFERING. 



32 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 33 

the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour ; and the Lord said 
in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's 
sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; 
neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. 
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, 
and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. 

And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be 
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you 
and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon 
every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon 
all the fishes of the sea ; into your hand are they delivered. Every 
moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you ; even as the green 
herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, 
which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 

God's Covenant with Noah. 

And surely your blood of your lives will I require ; at the hand of 
every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man ; at the hand of 
every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth 
man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed : for in the image of 
God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply ; bring 
forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. 

And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And 
I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after 
you ; and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the 
cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you ; from all that go out of 
the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant 
with you ; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of 
a flood ; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make 
between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for 
perpetual generations ; I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be 
for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall 
come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall 
3 



34 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



be seen in the cloud : and I will remember my covenant, which is 
between me and you and every living creature of all flesh ; and the 
waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the 
bow shall be in the cloud ; and I will look upon it, that I may 
remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living 
creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto 
Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established 
between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. 




THE TOWER OF BABEL. 

And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and 
Ham, and Japheth : and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the 
three sons of Noah : and of them was the whole earth overspread. 

And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And 
all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years : and he died. 
And unto Shem, Ham and Japheth were born sons after the flood, and 
from the families of the sons of Noah the nations of the earth were 
divided. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 35 

THE TOWER OF BABEL. 

AND the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that 
they found a plain in the land of Shinar ; and they dwelt 
there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and 
burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had 
they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a 
tower, whose top may reach unto heaven ; and let us make us a name, 
lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the 
children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is 
one, and they have all one language ; and this they begin to do : and 
now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined 
to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that 
they may not understand one another's speech. So the Lord scattered 
them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth : and they left 
off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel ; because 
the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from 
thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of the earth. 

THE CALL OF ABRAM. 

AND Abram was the son of Terah, who was descended from 
Shem. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran ; and Haran 
begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the 
land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor 
took them wives : the name of Abram's wife was Sarai ; and the name 
of Nahor's wife, Milcah. But Sarai was barren ; she had no child. And 
Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and 
Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth 
with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and 
they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And Terah died in Haran. 
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, 
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I 



36 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



will shew thee : and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will 
bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 
and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: 
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot 




ABRAHAM S ENCAMPMENT. 

went with him : and Abram was seventy and five years old when he 
departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his 
brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the 
souls that they had gotten in Haran ; and they went forth to go into 
the land of Canaan ; and into the land of Canaan they came. 

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



37 



the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the 
Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land : 
and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. 
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, 
and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east : 
and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name 
of the Lord. And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. 
And there was a famine in the land : and Abram went down into 




ABRAHAM SEES THE PROMISED LAND. 

Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And 
it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he 
said unto Sarai, his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair 
woman to look upon : therefore it shall come to pass, when the 
Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife : and they 
will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art 
my sister: that it maybe well with me for thy sake; and my soul 
shall live because of thee. 



38 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the 
Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair : and the woman 
was taken into Pharaoh's house. And the Lord plagued Pharaoh 
and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast 
done unto me ? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife ? 
Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me 
to wife : now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 

And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he 
had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in 
cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the 
south even to Beth-el, unto the place where his tent had been at the 
beginning, between Beth-el and Hai ; unto the place of the altar 
which he had made there at the first : and there Abram called on the 
name of the Lord. 

Abram and Lot Separate. 

And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and 
tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might 
dwell together, for their substance was great, so that they could not 
dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of 
Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite 
and the Perrizite dwelled then in the land. 

And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, 
between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen ; for 
we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, 
I pray thee, from me : if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to 
the right ; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go the left. 
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it 
was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and 
Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as 
thou comest unto Zoar. 

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan : and Lot journeyed 
east : and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 39 

dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the 
plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom 
were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. 

And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from 
him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art 
northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward : for all the 
land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth : so that if a man 
can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of 
it ; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and 
came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built 
there an altar unto the Lord. 

The Battle of the Kings. 

After this there was a battle in the vale of Siddim,by the Dead Sea : 
four kings fought against five. And among the five were the kings of 
Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot dwelt. 

There went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and 
the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela 
(the same is Zoar) ; and they joined battle with them in the vale of 
Siddim; with Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, four 
kings with five. 

And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits ; and the kings of 
Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled 
to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, 
and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram 's 
brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. 

And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew ; 
for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, 
and brother of Aner : and these were confederate with Abram. And 
when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his 
trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, 
and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, 



40 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto 
Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back 
all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, 
and the women also, and the people. 

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the 
slaughter of the kings. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth 
bread and wine : and he was the priest of the most high God. And 
he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, pos- 




GOD S PROMISE TO ABRAM. 

sessor of heaven and earth : and blessed be the most high God, which 
hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. 
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, 
and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of 
Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, 
the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread 
even to a shoe-lachet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, 
lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich : save only that 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



41 



which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which 
went- with me, Aner, Eschol, and Mam re ; let them take their portion. 

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in 
a vision, saying Fear not, Abram : I am thy shield, and thy exceeding 
great reward. 

And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go 
childless, and the stew- 
ard of my house is this 
Eliezer of Damascus ? 
And Abram said, Be- 
hold, to me thou hast 
given no seed : and, lo, 
one born in my house is 
mine heir. 

And, behold, the word 
of the Lord came unto 
him, saying, This shall 
not be thine heir; but 
he that shall come shall 
be thine heir. And he 
brought him f o r t h 
abroad, and said, Look 
now toward heaven, and 
tell the stars, if thou be 
able to number them : 
and he said unto him, 
So shall thy seed be. 
And he believed in the 
righteousness. 

And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur 
of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, 
Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it ? And he said 
unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three 
years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove and a 




THE TURTLE-DOVE. 



Lord ; and he counted it to him for 



42 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in 
the midst, and laid each piece one against another : but the birds 
divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, 
Abram drove them away. 

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram ; 
and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto 
Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land 
that is not theirs, and shall serve them ; and they shall afflict them 
four hundred years ; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will 
I judge : and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace ; thou shalt be buried 
in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come 
hither again : for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 

God's Promise to Abram. 

And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was 
dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed 
between those pieces. In the same day the Lord made a covenant 
with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the 
river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates. 

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bare him no children : and she had an 
handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai, Abram's 
wife, took Hagar, her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her 
husband Abram to be his wife. And Hagar bare Abram a son, and 
Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared 
to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God ; walk before 
me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me 
and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 

And Abram fell on his face : and God talked with him, saying, As 
for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of 
many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, 
but thy name shall be Abraham ; for a father of many nations have I 
made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 43 

nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish 
my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their 
generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to 
thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after 
thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for 
an everlasting possession ; and I will be their God. 

And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant 
therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is 
my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed 
after thee ; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 

And God said unto Araham, As for Sarai, thy wife, thou shalt not 
call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless 
her, and give thee a son also of her ; yea, I will bless her, and she 
shall be a mother of nations ; kings of people shall be of her. Then 
Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall 
a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old ? and shall 
Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear ? And Abraham said unto God, 
O that Ishmael might live before thee. 

And God said, Sarah, thy wife, shall bear thee a son indeed ; and 
thou shalt call his name Isaac : and I will establish my covenant with 
h m for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as 
for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will 
make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly ; twelve princes 
shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant 
will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this 
set time in next year. 

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the men of his house, 
and circumcised them in the self-same day, as God had said unto him. 

DESTRUCTION OF SODOM. 

AND the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre ; 
and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day ; and he lift 
up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him : and 
when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 45 

bowed himself toward the ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have 
found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 
let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest 
yourselves under the tree : and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and 
comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are 
ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make 
ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes 
upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf 
tender and good, and gave it unto a young man ; and he hastened to 
dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had 
dressed, and set it before them ; and he stood by them under the 
tree, and they did eat. And when they had eaten the men rose up 
from thence, and looked toward Sodom : and Abraham went with 
them to bring them on their way. 

Grievous Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I 
do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty 
nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him ? For I 
know him, that he will command his children and his household after 
him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and 
judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he 
hath spoken of him. 

And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is 
great, and because their sin is very grievous ; I will go down now, 
and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, 
which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men 
turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but 
Abraham stood yet before the Lord. 

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the 
righteous with the wicked ? Peradventure there be fifty righteous 
within the city : wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for 
the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do 



46 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked ; and that the 
righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee : Shall not 
the Judge of all the earth do right. 

And the Lord said, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the 
city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon 
me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes : peradven- 
ture there shall lack five of the fifty righteous : wilt thou destroy all 
the city for lack of five ? And he said, If I find there forty and five, 
I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, 
Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not 
do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be 
angry, and I will speak : Peradventure there shall thirty be found 
there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 

Abraham Pleads for Sodom. 

And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto 
the Lord : Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he 
said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet 
but this once : Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, 
I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the Lord went his way, as 
soon as he had left communing with Abraham : and Abraham 
returned unto his place. 

And there came two angels to Sodom at even ; and Lot sat in 
the gate of Sodom : and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them ; and 
he bowed himself with his face toward the ground ; and he said, 
Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, 
and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and 
go on your ways. And they said, Nay ; but we will abide in the 
street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly ; and they 
turned in unto him, and entered into his house ; and he made them 
a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 

And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides ? son in 




47 



48 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the 
city, bring them out of this place : for we will destroy this place, 
because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord ; 
and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and 
spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, 
get you out of this place ; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he 
seemed as one' that mocked unto his sons in law. 

"Escape for Thy Life." 

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, 
Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here ; lest thou 
be consumed in the iniquity of the city. And while he lingered, the 
men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon 
the hand of his two daughters ; the Lord being merciful unto him : 
and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it 
came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, 
Escape for thy life ; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the 
plain ; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 

And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord : behold now, thy 
servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy 
mercy, which: thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life ; and 
I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die : 
behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one : Oh, let 
me escape thither, (is it not a little one ?) and my soul shall live. And 
he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, 
that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 
Haste thee, escape thither ; for I cannot do anything till thou be come 
thither. 

Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was 
risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord 
rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the 
Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, 
and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the 
ground. But his wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 49 

And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he 
stood before the Lord : and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, 
and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of 
the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, 
when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered 
Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he 
overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. 

HAGAR AND ISHMAEL. 

AND the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did 
unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah bare Abraham a 
son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to 
him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto 
him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And the child grew, and was 
weaned : and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac 
was weaned. 

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born 
unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast 
out this bondwoman and her son : for the son of this bondwoman shall 
not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very 
grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. 

And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight 
because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman ; in all that Sarah 
hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice ; for in Isaac shall thy 
seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a 
nation, because he is thy seed. 

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a 
bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, 
and the child, and sent her away : and she departed, and wandered in 
the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, 
and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and 
sat down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot ; for 
she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over 
against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.* And God heard the 
4 




50 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 51 

voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, 
and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not ; for God hath 
heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold 
him in thine hand ; for I will make him a great nation. And God 
opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water ; and she went, and filled 
the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 

And God was with the lad ; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilder- 
ness, and became an archer. And he dwelt in the wilderness of 
Paran : and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. 

ABRAHAM OFFERING UP ISAAC. 

AND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt 
Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham : and he said, Behold, 
here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son 
Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah ; and 
offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which 
I will tell thee of. 

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, 
and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave 
the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place 
of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted 
up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his 
young men, Abide ye here with the ass ; and I and the lad will go 
yonder and worship, and come again to you. 

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon 
Isaac his son ; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife ; and they 
went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, 
and said, My father: and he said, here am I, my son. And he said, Be- 
hold the fire and the wood : but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for 
a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

And they came to the place which God had told him of; and 
Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound 
Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



53 



And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay 
his son. 

And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, 
Abraham, Abraham : and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not 
thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him : for 
now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld 
thy son, thine only son from me. 

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind 
him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns : And Abraham went and 




FOUR-HORNED RAM. 

took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of 
his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh : 
as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. 

And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the 
second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for 
because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, 
thine only son : that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying 
I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand 
which is upon the sea shore ; and thy seed shall possess the gate of 



54 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

his enemies ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be 
blessed ; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 

So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and 
went together to Beer-sheba ; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba. 

THE DEATH OF SARAH. 

AND Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old : 
these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died in 
Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan : and 
Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 

And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the 
field of Macpelah before Mamre : the same is Hebron in the land of 
Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure 
unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the sons of Heth. 

ISAAC AND REBEKAH. 

AND Abraham was old, and well stricken in age ; and the Lord 
had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto 
his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, 
Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh ; and I will make thee 
swear by the Lord, the God of Heaven, and the God of the earth, 
that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the 
Canaanites, among whom I dwell : but thou shalt go into my country, 
and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 

And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not 
be willing to follow me unto this land : must I needs bring thy son 
again unto the land from whence thou earnest ? And Abraham said 
unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 
The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, 
and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and 
that swear unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land ; he 
shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my 
son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow 
thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath : only bring not my 



THK OLD TKSTAMKNT STORY. 55 

son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of 
Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. 

And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and 
departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he 
arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he 
made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water 
at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw 
water. 

And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, 
send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master 
Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water ; and the 
daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water : and let it 
come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy 
pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink ; and she shall say, Drink, and 
I will give thy camels drink also : let the same be she that thou has 
appointed for thy servant Isaac ; and thereby shall I know that thou 
hast shewed kindness unto my master. 

Rebekah at the Well. 

And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, 
Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife 
of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 
And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any 
man known her : and she went down to the well, and filled her 
pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, 
Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 

And she said, Drink, my lord : and she hasted, and let down her 
pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had 
done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels 
also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied 
her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw 
water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her 
held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey 
prosperous or not. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



57 



And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the 
man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets 
for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, Whose 
daughter art thou ? tell me, I pray thee : is there room in thy father's 
house for us to lodge in ? 

And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son 
of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto 

him, We have both straw and 
provender enough, and room 
to lodge in. And the man 
bowed down his head, and 
worshipped the Lord. 

And he said, Blessed be 
the Lord God of my master 
Abraham, who hath not left 
destitute my master of his 
mercy and his truth: I being 
in the way, the Lord led me 
to the house of my master's 
brethren. And the damsel 
ran, and told them of her 
mother's house these things. 
And Rebekah had a brother, 
and his name was Laban : 
and Laban ran out unto the 
man, unto the well. And it 
came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's 
hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah, his sister, saying, 
Thus spake the man unto me ; that he came unto the man ; and, 
behold, he stood by the camels at the well. And he said, Come in, 
thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I 
have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 

And the man came into the house : and he ungirded his camels, 
and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his 




EASTERN MODE OF GIVING DRINK. 



58 the old Testament story. 

feet, and the men's feet that were with him. And there was set meat 
before him to eat : but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine 
errand. And he said, Speak on. 

And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath blessed 
my master greatly ; and he is become great : and he hath given him 
flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid- 
servants, and camels, and asses. And Sarah, my master's wife, bare 
a son to my master when she was old ; and unto him hath he given all 
that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not 
take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose 
land I dwell : but thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my 
kindred, and take a wife unto my son. And I said unto my master, 
Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 

She Let Down her Pitcher from her Shoulder. 

And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his 
angel with thee, and prosper thy way ; and thou shalt take a wife for 
my son of my kindred, and of my father's house ; then shalt thou be 
clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred ; and if 
they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. And I 
came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master 
Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go : behold, 
I stand by the well of water ; and it shall come to pass, that when the 
virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray 
thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink ; and she say to me, Both 
drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels ; let the same be the 
woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master's son. 

And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah 
came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder ; and she went down unto 
the well, and drew water : and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray 
thee. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her 
shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also : so I 
drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and 
said, Whose daughter art thou ? And she said, The daughter of 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 59 

Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him : and I put the 
earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I 
bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the 
Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way 
to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son. And now if ye 
will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me : and if not, tell me ; 
that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. 

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth 
from the Lord : we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, 
Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's 
son's- wife, as the Lord hath spoken. 

Jewels of Gold and Silver. 

And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their 
words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. And 
the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and 
raiment, and gave them to Rebekah : he gave also to her brother and 
to her mother precious things. And they did eat and drink, he and 
the men that were with him, and tarried all night ; and they rose up in 
the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. 

And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us 
a few days, at the least ten ; after that she shall go. And he said 
unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way ; 
send me away that I may go to my master. And they said, We will 
call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, 
and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man ? And she said, I 
will go. 

And they sent away Rebekah, their sister, and her nurse, and 
Abraham's servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and 
said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of 
millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 

And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the 
camels, and followed the man : and the servant took Rebekah, and 
went his way. 



60 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi ; for he dwelt 
in the south country. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at 
the eventide : and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the 
camels were coming. 

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she 
lighted off the camel. For she had said unto the servant, What man 
is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had 
said, It is my master : therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 

And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. And Isaac 
brought her into his mother, Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she 
became his wife ; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted -after 
his mother's death. Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name 
was Keturah. And she bare him children. 

And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. And these are the 
days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, an hundred three- 
score and fifteen years. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died 
in a good old age, an old man, and full of years ; and was gathered 
to his people. 

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Mach- 
pelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar, the Hittite, which is 
before Mamre ; the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of 
Heth : there was Abraham buried, and Sarah, his wife. And it 
came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son 
Isaac ; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi." 

JACOB AND ESAU. 

THE sons of Isaac and Rebekah were Jacob and Esau. They 
were twins, and Esau was the firstborn, and he was red, all 
over like an hairy garment. 
And the boys grew : and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the 
field ; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved 
Esau, because he did eat of his venison : but Rebekah loved Jacob. 
And Jacob boiled pottage : and Esau came from the field, and he 
was faint : and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 61 

same red pottage ; for I am faint : therefore was his name called 
Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau 
said, Behold, I am at the point to die : and what profit shall this birth- 
right do to me ? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day ; and he 
sware unto him : and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob 
gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles ; and he did eat and drink, 
and rose up, and went his way : thus Esau despised his birthright. 
And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was 
in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king 
of the Philistines unto Gerar. 

A Blessing for All the Nations of the Earth. 

And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into 
Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: sojourn in this 
land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee ; for unto thee, and 
unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the 
oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father ; and I will make thy 
seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed 
all these countries ; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth 
be blessed ; because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my 
charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an 
hundred fold : and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, 
and went forward, and grew until he became very great : for he had 
possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of ser- 
vants : and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his 
father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the 
Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. 

And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us : for thou art much 
mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent 
in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again the 
wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his 
father ; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of 
Abraham : and he called their names after, the names by which his 



62 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

father had called them. And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, 
and found there a well of springing water. 

And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, say- 
ing, The water is ours : and he called the name of the well Esek : 
because they strove with him, and they digged another well, and 
strove for that also : and he called the name of it Sitnah. 

And he removed from thence, and digged another well ; and for that 
they strove not : and he called the name of it Rehoboth ; and he said, 
For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in 
the land. And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. And the 
Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of 
Abraham thy father : fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, 
and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. And he 
builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and 
pitched his tent there : and there Isaac's servants digged a well. 

A Covenant of Peace. 

Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of 
his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. And Isaac 
said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and 
have sent me away from you ? And they said, We saw certainly that 
the Lord was with thee : and we said, Let there be now an oath 
betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant 
with thee ; that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched 
thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent 
thee away in peace : thou art now the blessed of the Lord. And he 
made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. And they rose up 
betimes in the morning, and sware one to another : and Isaac sent 
them away, and they departed from him in peace. 

And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and 
told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto 
him, We have found water. And he called it Shebah : therefore the 
name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day. 

And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith, the 




63 



64 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Bashemath, the daughter of Elon, 
the Hittite : which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah. 

And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were 
dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau, his eldest son, and said 
unto him, My son : and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And 
he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death : 
now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, 
and go out to the field, and take me some venison ; and make me 
savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; 
that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when 
Isaac spake to Esau, his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for 
venison, and to bring it. 

Jacob Brings Two Kids of the Goats. 

And Rebekah spake unto Jacob, her son, saying, Behold, I heard 
thy father speak unto Esau, thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and 
make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the 
Lord before my death. Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice 
according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and 
fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats ; and I will make 
them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth : and thou shalt 
bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee 
before his death. 

And Jacob said to Rebekah, his mother, Behold, Esau, my brother, 
is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man : my father peradventure will 
feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver ; and I shall bring a 
curse upon me, and not a blessing. And his mother said unto him, 
Upon me be thy curse, my son : only obey my voice, and go fetch me 
them. 

And he went, and brought them to his mother : and his mother 
made savory meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took 
goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the 
house, and put them upon Jacob, her younger son : and she put the 
skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 65 

his neck : and she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she 
had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 

And he came unto his father, and said, My father : and he said, 
Here am I ; who art thou, my son ? And Jacob said unto his father, 
I am Esau thy firstborn ; I have done according as thou badest me 
arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless 
me. And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it 
so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God 
brought it to me. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray 
thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son 
Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac, his father ; and he 
felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the 
hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were 
hairy, as his brother Esau's hands : so he blessed him. And he said, 
Art thou my very son Esau ? And he said, I am. And he said, Bring 
it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may 
bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he 
brought him wine, and he drank. Thus did Jacob to obtain the blessing. 

Isaac Bestows his Blessing upon Jacob. 

And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, 
my son. And he came near, and kissed him : and he smelled the 
smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my 
son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed : therefore 
.God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and 
plenty of corn and wine : let people serve thee, and nations bow down 
to thee : be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow 
down to thee ; cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be 
he that blesseth thee. 

And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of 
blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence 
of Isaac, his father, that Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting. 

And he also had made savory meat, and brought it unto his 
father, and said unto his father. Let my father arise, and eat of his 
5 * 



66 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said 
unto him, Who art thou ? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn 
Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who ? where 
is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of 
all before thou earnest, and have blessed him ? yea, and he shall be 
blessed. 

And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great 
and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me 
also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and 
hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named 
Jacob ? for he hath supplanted me these two times : he took away 
my birthright ; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. 
And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me ? And Isaac 
answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and 
all his brethern have I given to him for servants ; and with corn and 
wine have I sustained him : and what shall I now do unto thee, 
my son ? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, 
my father ? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted 
up his voice, and wept, seeking a blessing from his father. 

Esau Purposes to Slay Jacob. 

And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy 
dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven 
from above ; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy 
brother : and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, 
that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. 

And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father 
blessed him : and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for 
my father are at hand ; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And these 
words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah : and she sent and 
called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother 
Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 

Now. therefore, my son, obey my voice : and arise, flee thou 
to Laban my brother to Haran ; and tarry with him a few days, until 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 67 

thy brother's fury turn away ; until thy brother's anger turn away 
from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him : then I 
will send, and fetch thee from thence : why should I be deprived also 
of you both in one day ? Thus Rebekah spake unto Jacob. 

JACOB AND RACHEL. 

AND Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and 
said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters 
of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel 
thy mother's father ; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters 
of Laban thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and 
make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude 
of people ; and give the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed 
with thee ; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a 
stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. 

And Isaac sent away Jacob : and he went to Padan-aram unto 
Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's 
and Esau's mother. 

And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. 
And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, 
because the sun was set ; and he took of the stones of that place, and 
put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And 
he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top 
of it reached to heaven : and behold the angels of God ascending and 
descending on it. 

And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God 
of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : the land whereon thou 
liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed : and thy seed shall be as 
the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and 
to the east, and to the north, and to the south : and in thee and in thy 
seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, 
I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, 
and will bring thee again into this land ; for I will not leave thee, 
until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 09 

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is 
in this place ; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How 
dreadful is this place ! this is none other but the house of God, and 
this is the gate of heaven. 

And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that 
he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil 
upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el : 
but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. And Jacob 
vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this 
way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 
so that I come again to my father's house in peace ; then shall the 
Lord be my God : and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall 
be God's house : and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give 
the tenth unto thee. Thus did Jacob covenant with the Lord. 

Three Flocks of Sheep at the Well. 

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the 
people of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, 
and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it : for out of that 
well they watered the flocks : and a great stone was upon the well's 
mouth. And thither were all the flocks gathered : and they rolled 
the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the 
stone again upon the well's mouth in his place. 

And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they 
said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the 
son of Nahor ? And they said, We know him. And he said unto 
them, Is he well ? And they said, He is well : and, behold, Rachel 
his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high 
day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together : 
water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We 
cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the 
stone from the well's mouth ; then we water the sheep. 

And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's 
sheep : for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw 




70 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 71 

Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep 
of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the 
stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his 
mother's brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice 
and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, 
and that he was Rebekah's son : and she ran and told her father. 

And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his 
sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed 
him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these 
things. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my 
flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. 

Rachel becomes the Wife of Jacob. 

And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest 
thou therefore serve me for nought ? tell me, what shall thy wages 
be ? And Laban had two daughters : the name of the elder was 
Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender 
eyed ; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. And Jacob loved 
Rachel ; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy 
younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to 
thee, than that I should give her to another man : abide with me. 
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel ; and they seemed unto 
him but a few days for the love he had to her. 

And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are 
fulfilled. And Laban made a feast ; and in the evening he took Leah 
his daughter, and brought her to him. And in the morning, when 
Jacob knew that Leah had been given to him instead of Rachel, he 
said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me ? did not I serve 
with thee for Rachel ? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me ? And 
Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger 
before the firstborn : we will give thee Rachel also for the service which 
thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And he gave him 
Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Jacob loved also Rachel more 
than Leah, and served with Laban yet seven other years. 



72 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And Leah had four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, while 
as yet Rachel had no child. And Rachel envied her sister, and said 
unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob was angry 
with her, and said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld children 
from thee ? And she gave him her maid Bilhah to wife, and Bilhah 
bore two sons to Jacob, Dan and Naphtali. Then Leah took Zilpah 
her maid, and gave her to Jacob to wife. And Zilpah bare Jacob two 
sons, Gad and Asher, and afterward Leah bare Issachar and Zebulun, 
and a daughter, whom she named Dinah. At length Rachel's reproach 
was taken away and she had a son, and called his name Joseph. 

Laban's Flocks are Divided. 

And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob 
said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, 
and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I 
have served thee, and let me go : for thou knowest my service which 
I have done thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have 
found favor in thine eyes, tarry : for I have learned by experience 
that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint 
me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said unto him, Thou 
knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. 
For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now 
increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my 
coming : and now when shall I provide for mine own house also ? 

And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt 
not give me anything : if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again 
feed and keep thy flock. I will pass through all thy flock to-day, 
removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the 
brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among 
the goats : and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness 
answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before 
thy face : every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, 
and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. 

And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 73 

word. And he removed that day the he-goats that were ringstraked 
and spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, 
and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the 
sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. And he set three 
days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob : and Jacob fed the rest of 
Laban's flocks, and served Laban in the fields. 

Jacob's Return to the Land of Canaan. 

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken 
away all that was our father's ; and of that which was our father's 
hath he gotten all this glory. And Jacob beheld the countenance of 
Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. And the Lord 
said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kin- 
dred ; and I will be with thee. 

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his 
flock, and said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is 
not toward me as before ; but the God of my father hath been with 
me. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. 

And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten 
times ; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The 
speckled shall be thy wages ; then all the cattle bare speckled : and 
if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire ; then bare all the 
cattle ringstraked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your 
father, and given them to me. 

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels ; 
and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had 
gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, 
for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. And Laban went 
to shear his sheep : and Rachel had stolen the images that were her 
father's. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in 
that he told him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had ; 
and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the 
mount Gilead. 

And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. And 



74 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



he tooK his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' 
journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. And God 
came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, 
Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. 

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in 
the mount : and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of 
Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou 
hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, 




Jacob's departure for canaan. 

as captives taken with the sword ? Wherefore didst thou flee away 
secretly, and steal away from me : and didst not tell me, that I might 
have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with 
harp ? And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters ? 
thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my 
hand to do you hurt : but the God of your father spake unto me yes- 
ternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either 
good or bad. And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



75 



thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou 
stolen my gods? 

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for 
I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from 
me. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live : before 
our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. 
For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban 
searched, but found not the images. 




THE GOAT OF PALESTINE. 

And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered 
and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou 
hast so hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast searched all 
my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff; set it here 
before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt 
us both. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy 
she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I 
not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought unto thee; I bare 
the loss of it ; of my hand didst thou require it. 



76 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Thus I was ; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost 
by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been 
twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two 
daughters, and six years for thy cattle : and thou hast changed my 
wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, 
and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me 
away now empty. God hath seen my affliction and the labor 
of mine hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. 

Covenant between Laban and Jacob. 

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are 
my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle 
are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine : and what can I do this 
day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they 
have born ? Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and 
thou ; and let it be for a witness between thee and me. And Jacob 
took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his 
brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: 
and they did eat there upon the heap. And Laban said, This heap 
is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name 
of it called Galeed; and Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between 
me and thee, when we are absent one from another. If thou shalt 
afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daugh- 
ters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. 

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, 
which I have cast betwixt me and thee; this heap be witness, and this 
pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that 
thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. 
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, 
judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. 
Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren 
to eat bread : and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the 
mount. And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his 
sons and his daughters, and blessed them : and Laban departed. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 77 

MEETING OF JACOB AND ESAU. 

AND Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 
And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host : and 
he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto 
the land of Seir, the country of Edom, And he commanded them, 
saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau ; thy servant Jacob 
saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now : 
and I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and men-servants, and women- 
servants : and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in 
thy sight. 

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy 
brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred 
men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed : and 
he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, 
and the camels, into two bands ; and said, If Esau come to the one 
company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall 
escape. 

And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my 
father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country 
and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee : I am not worthy 
of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast 
shewed unto thy servant : for with my staff I passed over this Jordan ; 
and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the 
hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau : for I fear him, lest he 
will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou 
saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand 
of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. 

And he lodged there that same night ; and took of that which 
came to his hand a present for Esau his brother ; two hundred she 
goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 
thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty 
she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hands of 



78 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

his servants, every drove by themselves ; and said unto his servants, 
Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. 

And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother 
meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou ? and whither 
goest thou ? and whose are these before thee ? Then thou shalt say, 
They be thy servant Jacob's ; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau : 
and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, 
and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner 
shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye moreover, 
Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease 
him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see 
his face ; peradventure he will accept of me. 

An Angel Wrestles with Jacob. 

So went the present over before him : and himself lodged that night 
in the company. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, 
and his two women-servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the 
ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and 
sent over that he had. 

And Jacob was left alone ; and there wrestled a man with him until 
the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not 
against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh ; and the hollow of 
Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, 
Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee 
go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name ? 
And he said, Jacob. And he said, thy name shall be called no more 
Jacob, but Israel : for as a prince hast thou power with God and with 
men, and hast prevailed. 

And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. 
And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name ? And 
he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel : 
for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he 
passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his 
thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which 




79 



80 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day : because 
he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. 

And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, 
and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto 
Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put 
the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children 
after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. 

And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground 
seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran 
to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed 
him : and they wept. And Jacob's company was near at hand. 

Jacob's Present to Esau. 

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children ; 
and said, Who are those with thee ? And he said, The children 
which God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaidens 
came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And 
Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves : and 
after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. 
And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? 
And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. 

And Esau said, I have enough, my brother ; keep that thou hast 
unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found 
grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand : for therefore 
I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou 
wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought 
to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I 
have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. 

And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go 
before thee. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the 
children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with 
me : and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. 
Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant : and I will 
lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 81 

children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. And 
Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. 
And he said, What needeth it ? let me find grace in the sight of my 
lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. And Jacob 
journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for 
his cattle. Afterwards he went and dwelt at Shalem, near Shechem. 

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN. 

AND Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, 
in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. 
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with 
his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the 
sons of Zilpah, his father's wives : and Joseph brought unto his father 
their evil report. Now Isarel loved Joseph more than all his children, 
because he was the son of his old age ; and he made him a coat of 
many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved 
him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak 
peaceably unto him. 

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren ; and 
they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray 
you, this dream which I have dreamed : for, behold, we were binding 
sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; 
and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to 
my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign 
over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they 
hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. 

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and 
said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun 
and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he 
told it to his father, and to his brethren : and his father rebuked him, 
and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? 
Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down 
ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but 
his father observed the saying. 
6 



82 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 
And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in 
Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to 
him, Here am I. And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether 
it will be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks ; and bring 
me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he 
came to Shechem. 

And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in 
the field : and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou ? And 
he said, I seek my brethren; tell me, I pray thee, where they feed 
their flocks. And the man said, They are departed hence ; for I 
heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his 
brethren, and found them in Dothan feeding their flocks. 

"Behold this Dreamer Cometh." 

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto 
them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to 
another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let 
us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil 
beast hath devoured him : and we shall see what shall become of his 
dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their 
hands ; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, 
Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, 
and lay no hand upon him ; that he might rid him out of their hands, 
to deliver him to his father again. 

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, 
that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that 
was on him ; and they took him, and cast him into a pit : and the pit 
was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat 
bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a 
company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing 
spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our 
brother, and conceal his blood ? Come, and let us sell him to the 




cJ^v 





1(1 


J 


n 


m( 


C/2 


^ ^t 


X 


V s - 


Ph 


; s 


w 


r v 


r/) 


r 


O 


f'r 




Vf 




K<% 




fc ! 




h 




V 





83 



84 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him ; for he is our brother. 
Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and 
lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites 
for twenty pieces of silver : and they brought Joseph into Egypt. 

And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and 
dipped the coat in the blood; and they sent the coat of many 
colors: and they brought it to their father ; and said, This have we 
found : know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 

And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat ; an evil beast hath 
devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent 

his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his 
loins, and mourned for his son many 
days. And all his sons and all his daugh- 
ters rose up to comfort him ; but he re- 
fused to be comforted ; and he said, For 
I will go down into the grave unto my 
son mourning. Thus his father wept 
for him. And the Midianites sold him 
into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of 
Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. 

And the Lord was with Joseph, and 
he was a prosperous man; and he was 
in the house of his master the Egyptian. 
And his master saw that the Lord was 
with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his 
hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him : 
and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he 
put into his hand. 

And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in 
his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyp- 
tian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon 
all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he 
had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread 
which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored. 





UKHWKfe 


fawBbup 


$S ;K f> - fl ff|f§. 

1 i § '' ^ssi 


M 


'Mfm t 


Cm v ! 


jte iM /^KjJi J 


gM^ftaPlggMJiail 


^^^^^^^m^^Z 




mm% 


ISii--- 




- ^^^^ fH,M 



SACKCLOTH. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 85 

And the wife of Potiphar tempted Joseph to sin. But he refused, 
and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what 
is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my 
hand; there is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept 
back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife : how then 
can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to 
pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto 
her to be with her. Then did she accuse him falsely to her husband, 
and Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place 
where the king's prisoners were bound : and he was there in the prison. 

Joseph made Keeper of the Prison. 

But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave 
him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper 
of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were 
in the prison ; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 
The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his 
hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the 
Lord made it to prosper. 

And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king 
of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. 
And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief 
of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them 
in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the 
place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard 
charged Joseph with them, and he served them. 

And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in 
one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the 
butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the 
prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked 
upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's 
officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying: 
Wherefore look ye so sadly to-day ? And they said unto him, We 
have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. 



86 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God ? 
tell me them, I pray you. And the chief butler told his dream to 
Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me ; 
and in the vine were three branches : and it was as though it budded, 
and her blossoms shot forth ; and the clusters thereof brought forth 
ripe grapes : and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand : and I took the 
grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into 
Pharaoh's hand. 

And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The 
three branches are three days : yet within three days shall Pharaoh 

lift up thine head, and 
restore thee unto thy 
place : and thou shalt 
deliver Pharaoh's cup 
into his hand, after the 
former manner when 
thou wast his butler. 
But think on me when 
it shall be well with 
thee, and shew kind- 
ness, I pray thee, unto 
me, and make mention 
of me unto Pharaoh, 
and bring me out of 
this house : for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the 
Hebrews : and here also have I done nothing that they should put 
me into the dungeon. 

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he 
said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three 
white baskets on my head : and in the uppermost basket there was 
of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh ; and the birds did eat them 
out of the basket upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, 
This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days : 
yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, 




EGYPTIAN CARRIERS OR PORTERS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 87 

and shall hang thee on a tree ; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from 
off thee. 

And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, 
that he made a feast unto all his servants : and he lifted up the head 
of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. And he 
restored the chief butler unto his butlership again ; and he gave the 
cup into Pharaoh's hand : but he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph 
had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember 
Joseph, but forgat him. And Joseph continued in prison. 

JOSEPH BEFORE PHARAOH. 

AND it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh 
dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, 
there came up out of the river seven well favored kine and 
fat-fleshed ; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other 
kine came up after them out of the river, ill favored and leanfleshed ; 
and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill 
favored and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat 
kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: 
and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, Bank and 
good. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind 
sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven 
rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled ; and 
he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men 
thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that 
could interpret them unto Pharaoh. 

Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember 
my faults this day : Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me 
in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief 
baker : and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he ; we dreamed 
each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there 
was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of 
the guard ; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams ; to 



88 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to 
pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine 
office, and him he hanged. 

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily 
out of the dungeon : and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, 
and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have 
dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it : and I have 
heard say of thee that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall 
give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 

Then Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood 

upon the bank of 
the river: and, be- 
hold, there came 
up out of the river 
seven kine, fat- 
fleshed and well 
favored; and they 
fed in a meadow : 
and, behold, seven 
other kine came up 
after them, poor 
and very ill favored 
and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for 
badness : and the lean and the ill favored kine did eat up the first 
seven fat kine : and when they had eaten them up, it could not be 
known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favored, as 
at the beginning. So I awoke. 

And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one 
stalk, full and good : and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and 
blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them : and the thin ears 
devoured the seven good ears : and I told this unto the magicians ; 
but there was none that could declare it to me. 

And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one : God 




EGYPTIAN TRADERS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



89 



hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine 
are seven years ; and the seven good ears are seven years : the dream 
is one. And the seven thin and ill favored kine that came up after 
them are seven years ; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east 
wind shall be seven years of famine. 

This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh : What God 
is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven 
years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt : and there 
shall arise after them seven years of famine ; and all the plenty shall 
be forgotten in the land of Egypt : and the famine shall consume the 
land ; and the plenty shall not be 
known in the land by reason of that 
famine following ; for it shall be very 
grievous. And for that the dream 
was doubled unto Pharaoh twice ; it 
is because the thing is established by 
God, and God will shortly bring it to 
pass. 

Now therefore let Pharaoh look out 
a man discreet and wise, and set him 
over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh 
do this, and let him appoint officers 
over the land, and take up the fifth 
part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them 
gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn 
under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 
And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of 
famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt: that the land perish not 
through the famine. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, 
and in the eyes of all his servants. And the king began to make 
ready to lay up in store for the famine. 

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as 
this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is ? And Pharaoh said unto 
Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee -all this, there is none 




SALUTATION. 



00 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

so discreet and wise as thou art : thou shalt be over my house, and 
according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled : only in the 
throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, 
See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 

And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon 
Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a 
gold chain about his neck ; and he made him to ride in the second 
chariot which he had ; and they cried before him, Bow the knee : and 
he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said 
unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his 
hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's 
name Zaphnath-pa-aneah ; and he gave him to wife Asenath the 
daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. 

And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. And Joseph was 
thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And 
Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout 
all the land of Egypt. 

And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by 
handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which 
were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities : the food 
of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 
And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much. 

And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine 
came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On, bare 
unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh : 
For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's 
house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim : For God 
hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 

THE FAMINE. 

AND the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of 
Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to 
come, according as Joseph had said : and the dearth was in 
all lands ; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



91 



all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for 
bread : and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph ; 
what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of 
the earth : And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the 
Egyptians ; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And 
all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn, because that 
the famine was so sore in all lands. 

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said 
unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another ? And he said, 



ggnamsnnaEgssg 




EGYPTIAN SYMBOLS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 

Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down 
thither, and buy for us from thence ; that we may live, and not die. 
And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But 
Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren ; for he 
said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel 
came to buy corn among those that came : for the famine was in the 
land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he 
it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, 
and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 



92 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself 
strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them ; and he said unto 
them, Whence come ye ? And they said, From the land of Canaan 
to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 

And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, 
and said unto them, Ye are spies ; to see the nakedness of the land 
ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy 
food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons ; we are true 
men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to 
see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, Thy 
servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of 
Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and 
one is not. 

And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, 
Ye are spies : hereby ye shall be proved : By the life of Pharaoh ye 
shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 
Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept 
in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any 
truth in you : or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. And 
he put them all together into ward three days. 

Joseph Sends his Brethren away with Corn. 

And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live ; for 
I fear God : if ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in 
the house of your prison : go ye, carry corn for the famine of your 
houses : but bring your youngest brother unto me ; so shall your 
words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. 

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our 
brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, 
and we would not hear ; therefore is this distress come upon us. And 
Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do 
not sin against the child ; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, 
also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph under- 
stood them ; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 93 

turned himself about from them, and wept ; and returned to them 
again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and 
bound him before their eyes. 

Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore 
every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the 
way: and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with 
the corn, and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack 
to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money: for, behold, 
it was in his sack's mouth. And lie said unto his brethren, My 
money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart 
failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this 
that God hath done unto us? And they feared greatly. 

The Story is Told to Jacob. 

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, 
and told him all that befell unto them ; saying, The man, who is the 
lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the 
country. And we said unto him, We are true men ; we are no spies : 
we be twelve brethren, sons of our father ; one is not, and the young- 
est is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, 
the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are 
true men ; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for 
the famine of your households, and be gone : and bring your young- 
est brother unto me : then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that 
ye are true men : so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall 
traffic in the land. 

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every 
man's bundle of money was in his sack ; and when both they and 
their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob 
their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children : 
Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away : 
all these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, 
saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee : deliver him 
into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. And he said, My 



94 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

son shall not go down with you ; for his brother is dead, and he is 
left alone : if mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then 
shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 

BENJAMIN BROUGHT TO JOSEPH. 

AND the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when 
they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of 
Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little 
food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly 
protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother 
be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down 
and buy thee food : but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go 
down : for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except 
your brother be with you. 

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do 
this ; take of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry 
down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and 
myrrh, nuts, and almonds : and take double money in your hand ; 
and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, 
carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: take 
also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man : and God 
Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away 
your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, 
I am bereaved. 

And the men took that present, and they took double money in 
their hand, and Benjamin ; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, 
and stood before Joseph. And when Joseph saw Benjamin with 
them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and 
slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 

And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they 
communed with him at the door of the house, and said, O sir, we 
came indeed down at the first time to buy food : and it came to pass, 
when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, 
every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



95 



weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money 
have we brought down in our hands to buy food : we cannot tell who 
put our money in our sacks. 

And he said, Peace be to you, fear not : your God, and the God of 
your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks : I had your 
money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man 
brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they 




urn 





/j^a ^* _2> 



!"g. A -. vrG i • t =sr -^ 



• 



EGYPTIAN JUDGMENT SCENE. 

washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they 
made ready the present against Joseph came at noon : for they heard 
that they should eat bread there. 

And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which 
was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the 
earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father 
well, the old man of whom ye. spake? Is he yet alive? And they 
answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. 
And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. 



96 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's 
son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto 
me ? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph 
made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother : and he sought 
where to weep ; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 
And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, 
Set on bread. 

And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, 
and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves : because 
the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews ; for that is an 
abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the first- 
born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his 
youth : and the men marvelled one at another. And he took and sent 
messes unto them from before him : but Benjamin's mess was five 
times so much as any of their's. And they drank, and were merry 

with him. 

The Silver Cup in the Sack. 

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's 
sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's 
money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the 
sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did 
according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 

As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they 
and their asses. And when they were gone out of the city, and not 
yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men ; 
and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have 
ye rewarded evil for good ? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, 
and whereby indeed he divineth ? ye have done evil in so doing. 

And he overtook them, and he spake unto him these same words. 
And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God 
forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing : behold, the 
money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto 
thee out of the land of Canaan : how then should we steal out of thy 
lord's house silver or gold ? With whomsoever of thy servants it be 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 97 

found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. And 
he said, Now also let it be according unto your words : he with whom 
it is found shall be my servant ; and ye shall be blameless. Then they 
speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened 
every man his sack. And he searched, and began at the eldest, and 
left at the youngest : and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and 
returned to the city. 

And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house ; for he was 
yet there : and they fell before him on the ground 

" Get you up in Peace unto your Father." 

And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? 
wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? And Judah 
said, What shall we say unto my lord ? what shall we speak ? or how 
shall we clear ourselves ? God hath found out the iniquity of thy 
servants : behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also 
with whom the cup is found. And he said, God forbid that I should 
do so : but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my 
servant ; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father. 

Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy 
servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine 
anger burn against thy servant : for thou art even as Pharaoh. My 
lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother ? And 
we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of 
his old age, a little one ; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left 
of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto 
thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes 
upon him. 

And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father : for if 
he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou saidst 
unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with 
you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we 
came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my 
7 



98 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

lord. And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. And 
we said, We cannot go down : if our youngest brother be with us, 
then will we go down : for we may not see the man's face, except our 
youngest brother be with us. And thy servant my father said unto 
us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons : and the one went out 
from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces ; and I saw him not 
since : and if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye 
shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. 

Joseph Anxiously Inquires after Jacob. 

Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad 
be not with us ; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life ; it 
shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he 
will die : and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy 
servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became 
surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, 
then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I 
pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my 
lord ; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up 
to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the 
evil that shall come on my father. 

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood 
by him ; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And 
there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known 
unto his brethren. And he wept aloud : and the Egyptians and the 
house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am 
Joseph ; doth my father yet live ? And his brethren could not 
answer him ; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph 
said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they 
came near. 

And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold 
me hither : for God did send me before you to preserve life. For 
these two years hath the famine been in the land ; and yet there are 




99 



100 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 
And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, 
and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not 
you that sent me hither, but God : and he hath made me a father to 
Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land 
of Egypt. 

Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith 
thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt : come down 
unto me, tarry not : and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and 
thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's 
children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: and 
there will I nourish thee ; for yet there are five years of famine ; lest 
thou and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. 

Preparations for Settling in Egypt. 

And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, 
that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my 
father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen ; and ye 
shall haste and bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his 
brother Benjamin's neck, and wept ; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 
Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them : and after 
that his brethren talked with him. 

And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, 
Joseph's brethren are come : and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his 
servants. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, 
This do ye ; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of 
Canaan ; and take your father and your households, and come unto 
me : and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall 
eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye ; take 
you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your 
wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; 
for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. 

And the children of Israel did so : and Joseph gave them wagons, 
according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 101 

for the way. To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment ; 
but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five 
changes of raiment. And to his father he sent after this manner ; ten 
asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden 
with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. So he sent 
his brethren away, and they departed : and he said unto them, See 
that ye fall not out by the way. 

And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan 
unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and 
he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, 
for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, 
which he had said unto them : and when he saw the wagons which 
Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived : 
and Israel said, It is enough ; Joseph my son is yet alive : I will go 
and see him before I die. 

ISRAEL GOES DOWN INTO EGYPT. 

AND Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to 
Beer-sheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father 
Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the 
night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he 
said, I am God, the God of thy father : fear not to go down into 
Egypt ; for I will there make of thee a great nation : I will go down 
with thee into Egypt ; and I will also surely bring thee up again : and 
Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. 

And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba : and the sons of Israel carried 
Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons 
which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle, 
and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and 
came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him : his sons, and his 
sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all 
his seed brought he with him into Egypt. All the souls that came 
with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's 
sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and *six ; and the sons of 



102 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls : all the 
souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore 
and ten. 

And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto 
Goshen ; and they came unto the land of Goshen. And Joseph 
made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to 
Goshen, and presented himself unto him ; and he fell on his neck, and 
he wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, 
Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive. 

Jacob and his Sons meet Pharaoh. 

And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, 
I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and 
my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto 
me ; and the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed 
cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all 
that they have. And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call 
you, and shall say, What is your occupation ? that ye shall say, Thy 
servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, 
both we, and also our fathers : that ye may dwell in the land of 
Goshen ; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians. 

Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my 
brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are 
come out of the land of Canaan ; and, behold, they are in the land of 
Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and 
presented them unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, 
What is your occupation ? 

And they said uato Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, 
and also our fathers. They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to 
sojourn in the land are we come ; for thy servants have no pasture for 
their flocks ; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan : now there- 
fore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. 

And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy 
brethren are come unto thee : the land of Egypt is before thee ; in the 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



103 



N^ w\\\\\\\\N\\\ / Ml i fit] hit tii (itiuuf 



best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of 
Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any men of activity 
among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. And Joseph 
brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh : and Jacob 
blessed Pharaoh. 

And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou ? And Jacob 
said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an 
hundred and thirty years : few and evil have the days of the years of 
my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the 
life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed 

Pharaoh, and went out from before 
Pharaoh. And Joseph placed his father 
and his brethren, and gave them a pos- 
session in the land of Egypt, in the best 
of the land, in the land of Rameses, as 
Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph 
nourished his father, and his brethren, 
and all his father's household, with bread, 
according to their families. And there 
was no bread in all the land ; for the 
\l famine was very sore, so that the land 
of Egypt and all the land of Canaan 
fainted by reason of the famine. And 
Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, 
and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought : and Joseph 
brought the money into Pharaoh's house. And when money failed in 
the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came 
unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread : for why should we die in thy 
presence ? for the money faileth. 

And Joseph said, Give your cattle ; and I will give you for your 
cattle, if money fail. And they brought their cattle unto Joseph : and 
Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, and for the flocks, 
and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses ; and he fed them 
with bread for all their cattle for that year. When that year was 




EGYPTIAN WINE PRESS. 



104 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We 
will not hide it from my lord, how that our money is spent ; my lord 
also hath our herds of cattle ; there is not ought left in the sight of 
my lord, but our bodies, and our lands : wherefore shall we die before 
thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and 
we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh : and give us seed, 
that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. 

And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh ; for the 
Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over 
them : so the land became Pharaoh's. And as for the people, he 
removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to 
the other end thereof. Only the land of the priests bought he not ; 
for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their 
portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands. 

Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this 
day and your land for Pharaoh : lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall 
sow the land. And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall 
give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for 
seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, 
and for food for your little ones. And they said, Thou has saved ouj 
lives : let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be 
Pharaoh's servants. And Joseph made it a law over the land of 
Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part ; except 
the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's. 

And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen ; 
and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceed- 
ingly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years : so 
the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years. 

THE FINDING OF MOSES. 

VTOW these are the names of the children of Israel, which came 

±_y into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob. 

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and 

Benjamin, Dan and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that 



106 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls : for Joseph was in 
Egypt already. And Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years 
old: and they embalmed him. And the children of Israel were fruitful, 
and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; 
and the land was filled with them. 

Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, w T hich knew not Joseph. 
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of 
Israel, are more and mightier than we : come on, let us deal wisely 
with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when 

there falleth out any war, they 
join also unto our enemies, and 
fight against us, and so get 
them up out of the land. 
Therefore they did set over 
them taskmasters to afflict 
them with their burdens. 
And they built for Pharaoh 
treasure cities, Pithom and 
Raamses. But the more they 
afflicted them, the more they 
multiplied and grew. And 
they were grieved because of 

the children of Israel. And 

Egyptian king. the Egypt j ans made the chil- 

dren of Israel to serve with rigor; and they made their lives bitter with 
hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in 
the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor. 
And the King of Egypt commanded that when any of the 
Hebrew women had a child, if it were a son, he should be slain by the 
midwife; but if it were a daughter, she should be saved alive. But 
the thing which the king commanded was not done, because the 
midwives feared God : and the people multiplied, and waxed very 
mighty. And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that 
is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. 





107 



108 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a 
daughter of Levi. And the woman bare a son : and when she saw 
him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when 
she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, 
and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein : 
and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood 
afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the 

river; and her maidens 
walked along by the 
river's side; and when 
she saw the ark among 
the flags, she sent her 
maid to fetch it. And 
when she had opened 
it, she saw the child: 
and, behold, the babe 
wept. And she had 
compassion on him, 
and said, This is one 
of the Hebrew's chil- 
dren. Then said his 
sister to Pharaoh's 
daughter, Shall I go 
and call to thee a nurse 
of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And 
Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called 
the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take 
this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. 
And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, 
and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. 
And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out 
of the water. 

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he 




EGYPTIAN LADIES. 




109 



110 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens : and he 
spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he 
looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no 
man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the 
Hebrews strove together : and he said to him that did the wrong, 
Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow ? And he said, Who made thee a 
prince and a judge over us ? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst 
the Egyptian ? And Moses feared, and said, Surely, this thing is 
known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay 
Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the 
land of Midian : and he sat down by a well. 

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters : and they came 
and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 
And the shepherds came and drove them away : but Moses stood up 
and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to 
Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to-day? 
And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the 
shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. 
And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye 
have left the man ? call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses 
was content to dwell with the man : and he gave Moses Zipporah his 
daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom. 

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died ; 
and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they 
cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And 
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with 
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 

THE BURNING BUSH. 

NOW Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest 
of Midian : and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, 
and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the 
angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the 



112 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with 
fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now 
turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And 
when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him 
out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, 
Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither :' put off thy shoes 
from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 
Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, 
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face ; 
for he was afraid to look upon God. 

The Children of Israel to be Brought Out of Egypt. 

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people 
which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their task- 
masters ; for I know their sorrows ; and I am come down to deliver 
them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of 
that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk 
and honey. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel 
is come unto me : and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the 
Egyptians oppress them. Gome now therefore, and I will send thee 
unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of 
Israel out of Egypt. 

And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto 
Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out 
of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this 
shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee : when thou hast 
brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this 
mountain. 

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children 
of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent 
me unto you ; and they shall say to me, What is his name ? what 
shall I say unto them ? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT 
I AM : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 
I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 113 

Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of 
your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of 
Jacob, hath sent me unto you : this is my name for ever, and this is 
my memorial unto all generations. 

Go, and gather the elders of the children of Israel together, and say 
unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of 
Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited 
you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt : and I have said, 
I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the 
Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and 
the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and 
honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice : and thou shalt come, 
thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say 
unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us : and now 
let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, 
that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 

The Egyptians are to be Despoiled. 

And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not 
by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt 
with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after 
that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight 
of the Egyptians : and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye 
shall not go empty : but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, 
and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels 
of gold, and raiment : and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon 
your daughters ; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. 

And Moses answered, and said, But, behold, they will not believe 
me, nor hearken unto my voice : for they will say, The Lord hath not 
appeared unto thee. And the Lord said unto him, What is that in 
thine hand ? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the 
ground, and it became a serpent ; and Moses fled from before it. 
And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by 
the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became 
8 



114 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



a rod in his hand : That they may believe that the Lord God of their 
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, 
hath appeared unto thee. 

And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into 
thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took 
it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine 
hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom 
again ; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned 
again as his other flesh. 

And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither 

hearken to the voice 
of the first sign, that 
they will believe the 
voice of the latter 
sign. And it shall 
come to pass, if they 
will not believe also 
these two signs, 
neither hearken unto 
thy voice, that thou 
shalt take of the 
water of the river, 
and pour it upon the 
dry land : and the water which thou takest out of the river shall 
become blood upon the dry land. 

And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, 
neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but 
I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto 
him, Who hath made man's mouth ? or who maketh the dumb, or 
deaf, or the seeing, or the blind ? have not I the Lord ? Now there- 
fore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt 
say. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him 
whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against 
Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know 




ANCIENT SANDALS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 115 

that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet 
thee : and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou 
shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with 
thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 
And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even 
he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him 
instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, where- 
with thou shalt do signs. 

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and 
said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren 
which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro 
said to Moses, Go in peace. And the Lord said unto Moses in 
Midian, Go, return into Egypt : for all the men are dead which 
sought thy life. And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them 
upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt : and Moses took 
the rod of God in his hand. 

What Moses was to Say. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into 
Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I 
have put in thine hand : but I will harden his heart, that he shall not 
let the people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the 
Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn : and I say unto thee, Let 
my son go, that he may serve me : and if thou refuse to let him go, 
behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. 

And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet 
Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and 
kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who 
had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him. 

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of 
the children of Israel : and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord 
had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 
And the people believed : and when they heard that the Lord had 
visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their 
affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. 



116 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



THE EGYPTIAN BONDAGE. 

AND afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, 
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that 
they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And 
Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let 
Israel go ? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. 

And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us : let us 
go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice 
unto the Lord our God ; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with 
the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, 
Moses and Aaron, hinder the people from their works ? get you unto 




MANUFACTURE OF COFFINS BY EGYPTIANS. 

your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land 
now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. 

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the 
people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people 
straw to make brick as heretofore : let them go and gather straw for 
themselves. And the amount of the bricks, which they did make 
heretofore, ye shall lay upon them ; ye shall not diminish ought 
thereof: for they be idle : therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and 
sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that 
they may labor therein ; and let them not regard vain words. 

And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and 
they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give 
you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it : yet not ought 
of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



117 



abroad thoughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of 
straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfill your works, 
your daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the 
children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, 
were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task 
in making brick both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore ? 

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto 
Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? 
There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make 
brick : and, behold, thy servants are 
beaten ; but the fault is in thine own 
people. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are 
idle : therefore ye say, Let us go and 
do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore 
now, and work ; for there shall no straw 
be given you, yet shall ye deliver the 
amount of bricks. And the officers of 
the children of Israel did see that they 
were in evil case, after it was said, Ye 
shall not lessen ought from your bricks 
of your daily task. And they met Moses 
and Aaron, who stood in the way, as 
they came forth from Pharaoh : and they 
said unto them, The Lord look upon you, 
and judge; because ye have made our Egyptian taskmaster. 
savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his ser- 
vants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. . And Moses returned 
unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated 
this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? for since I came to 
Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people ; 
neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. Then the Lord said 
unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for 
with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall 
he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said 




118 • THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

unto him, I am the Lord: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, 
and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name 
JEHOVAH was I not known to them. And I have also established 
my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of 
their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard 
the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in 
bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto 
the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from 
under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their 
bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with 
great judgments : and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be 
to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which 
bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I 
will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to 
give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I Avill give it to you 
for an heritage: I am the Lord. 

And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel : but they hearkened 
not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. And the 
Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of 
Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And 
Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel 
have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me? And 
the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge 
unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring 
the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 

THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT. 

AND it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses 
in the land of Egypt, that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 
I am the Lord : speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all 
that I say unto thee. And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am 
of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me ? 

And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to 
Pharaoh : and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt 




119 



120 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

speak all that I command thee : and Aaron thy brother shall speak 
unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. 
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my 
wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto 
you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine 
armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of 
Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am 
the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out 
the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did 
as the Lord commanded them. And Moses was fourscore years old, 
and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto 
Pharaoh. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When 
Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you : then 
thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, 
and it shall become a serpent. 

And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as 
the Lord had commanded ; and Aaron cast down his rod before 
Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then 
Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers : now the 
magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchant- 
ment. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became 
serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened 
Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them ; as the Lord had 
said. 

PLAGUES OF BLOOD AND FROGS. 

AND the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he 
refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the 
morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water : and thou shalt stand 
by the river's brink against he come ; and the rod which was turned 
to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. 

And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath 
sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 121 

in the wilderness : and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Thus 
saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord : behold, 
I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which 
are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that 
is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink ; and the Egyptians 
shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. 

The Rivers Turned to Blood. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, 
and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their 
streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their 
pools of water, that they may become blood ; and that there may be 
blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and 
in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord 
commanded ; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were 
in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants ; 
and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And 
the fish that was in the river died ; and the river stank, and the 
Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river ; and there was 
blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of 
Egypt did so with their enchantments : and Pharaoh's heart was 
hardened, neither did he hearken unto them ; as the Lord had said. 

And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set 
his heart to this also. And all the Egyptians digged round about 
the river for water to drink : for they could not drink of the water of 
the river. 

And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the 
river. And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say 
unto him. Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may 
serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all 
thy borders with frogs : and the river shall bring forth frogs 
abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy 
bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, 
and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading- 



122 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

troughs: and the frogs shall come up both on thee and upon thy 
people, and upon all thy servants. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth 
thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over 
the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And 
Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt ; and the frogs 
came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so 
with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. 

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the 
Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; 
and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord. 
And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me ; when shall I intreat 
for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs 
from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? 
And he said, To-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: 
that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God. 

And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and 
from thy servants, and from thy people ; they shall remain in the river 
only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh : And Moses 
cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had brought against 
Pharaoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses ; and 
the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the 
fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps : and the land 
stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened 
his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said. 

PLAGUES OF LICE, FLIES AND BOILS. 

AND the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy 
rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice 
throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; for 
Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the 
earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast ; all the dust of the land 
became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians 
did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 123 

so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians 
said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was 
hardened, and he hearkened not unto them ; as the Lord had said. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and 
stand before Pharaoh ; lo, he cometh forth to the water ; and say unto 
him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 
Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of 
of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and 
into thy houses : and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of 
swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. And I will 
sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that 
no swarms of flies shall be there : to the end thou mayest know that 
I am the Lord in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division 
between my people and thy people : to-morrow shall this sign be. 

A Swarm of Flies Over the Land. 

And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into 
the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the 
land of Egypt : the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of 
flies. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, 
sacrifice to your God in the land. And Moses said, It is not meet so 
to do ; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the 
Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians 
before their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go three days' 
journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he 
shall command us. And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may 
sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness ; only ye shall not go 
very far away : intreat for me. 

And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the 
Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his 
servants, and from his people, to-morrow : but let not Pharaoh deal 
deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the 
Lord. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. 
And the Lord did according to the word of Moses ; and he removed 



124 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his 
people; there remained not one. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at 
this time also, neither would he let the people go. 

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, 
Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that 
they may serve me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold 
them still, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in 
the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the 
oxen, and upon the sheep : their shall be a very grievous plague. And 
the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of 
Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel. 

And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To-morrow the Lord 
shall do this thing in the land. And the Lord did that thing on the 
morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died : but of the cattle of the 
children of Israel died not one. And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there 
was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of 
Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. 

And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you 
handfuls of ashes of the furnance, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the 
heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust in 
all the land of Egypt and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains 
upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And 
they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh ; and 
Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven : and it became a boil, breaking 
forth with blains upon man and upon beast. And the magicians 
could not stand before Moses because of the boils ; for the boil was 
upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. And the Lord 
hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them. 

THE PLAGUE OF HAIL. 

AND the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, 
and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the 
Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may 
serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



125 



heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people ; that thou mayest 
know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will 
stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with 
pestilence ; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very 
deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my 
power ; and that my name may be declared throughout all the 
earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou 
wilt not let them go. 

Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very 
grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation 
thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, 
and all that thou 
hast in the field; for 
upon every man and 
beast which shall be 
found in the field, and 
shall not be brought 
home, the hail shall 
come down upon 
them, and they shall 
die. He that feared 
the word of the Lord 
among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee 
into the houses : and he that regarded not the word of the Lord left 
his servants and his cattle in the field. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward 
heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, 
and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land 
of Egypt. And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven : and 
the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along the ground ; 
and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, 
and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none 
like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail 
smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both 




EGYPTIANS WINNOWING BARLEY WITH THE FAN. 



126 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

man and beast ; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake 
every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children 
of Israel were, was there no hail. 

And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto 
them, I have sinned this time : the Lord is righteous, and I and my 
people are wicked. Intreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there 
be no more mighty thunderings and hail ; and I will let you go, and 
ye shall stay no longer. And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am 
gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord and 
the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail that thou 
may est know how that the earth is the Lord's. 

But as for thee and thy servants > I know that ye will not yet fear 
the Lord God. And the flax and the barley was smitten : for the 
barley was in the ear, and the flax was budding. But the wheat and 
the rie were not smitten : for they were not grown up. And Moses 
went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto 
the Lord : and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not 
poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and 
the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hard- 
ened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was 
hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go ; as the Lord 
had spoken by Moses. 

PLAGUES OF LOCUSTS AND DARKNESS. 

AND the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh : for I have 
hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might 
shew these my signs before him : and that thou mayest tell in 
the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought 
in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them ; that ye may 
know how that I am the Lord. And Moses and Aaron came in unto 
Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, 
How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my 
people go, that they may serve me. 

Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I 



fiBllfl 




\\;vm ^^i!m> y m:mfm^ iivid'h \ mm 



127 



128 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

bring the locusts into thy coast : and they shall cover the face of the 
earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth : and they shall eat the 
residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the 
hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field : 
and they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and 
the houses of all the Egyptians ; which neither thy fathers, nor thy 
fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth 
unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh. 
And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be 
a snare unto us ? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their 
God : knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed ? And Moses 
and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh : and he said unto them, 
Go, serve the Lord your God : but who are they that shall go ? And 
Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our 
sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will 
we go ; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord. 

Locusts Darken the Land. 

And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let 
you go, and your little ones : look to it ; for evil is before you. Not 
so : go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord ; for that ye did 
desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the 
land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land 
of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath 
left. And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and 
the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that 
night ; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 
And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all 
the coasts of Egypt : very grievous were they: before them there 
were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For 
they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was dark- 
ened ; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the 
trees which the hail had left : and there remained not any green 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 129 

thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the 
land of Egypt. 

Then Pharoah called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, 
I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now 
therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the 
Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only. 
And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. And the 
Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, 
and cast them into the Red sea ; there remained not one locust in all 
the coasts of Egypt. But Pharaoh would not let Israel go. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward 
heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even 
darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand 
toward heaven ; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of 
Egypt three days ; they saw not one another, neither rose any from 
his place for three days : but all the children of Israel had light in 
their dwellings. 

And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord ; 
only let your flocks and your herds be stayed : let your little ones 
also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices 
and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. 
Our cattle also shall go with us ; there shall not an hoof be left 
behind ; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God ; and we 
know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither. 
But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them 
go. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to 
thyself, see my face no more ; for in that day thou seest my face thou 
shalt die. And Moses said, I will see thy face again no more. 

THE FIRSTBORN OF EGYPT SLAIN. 

AND the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague 
more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt ; afterwards he will let 
you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust 
you out hence altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and 
9 



130 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her 
neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave 
the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man 
Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's 
servants, and in the sight of the people. 

And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About, midnight will I go 
out into the midst of Egypt : and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt 
shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, 
even unto the firstborn of the maid-servant that is behind the mill : 




ANCIENT SHOES. 

and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry 
throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there Avas none like it, nor 
shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel 
shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast : that ye may 
know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians 
and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and 
bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people 
that follow thee : and after that I will go out. And he went out from 
Pharaoh in a great anger. And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh 
shall not hearken unto you ; that my wonders may be multiplied in the 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 131 

land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before 
Pharaoh : and Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 
saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months : it 
shall be the first month of the year to you. 

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, in the tenth 
day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, 
according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house : and if 
the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next 
unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every 
man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall 
take it out from the sheep, or from the goats : and ye shall keep it up 
until the fourteenth day of the same month : and the whole assembly 
of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 

The First Passover. 

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts 
and on the upper door post of their houses, wherein they shall eat it. 
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and 
unleavened bread ; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of 
it raw, nor soddened at all with water, but roast with fire ; his head 
with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let 
nothing of it remain until the morning ; and that which remaineth of 
it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 

And thus shall ye eat it ; with your loins girded, your shoes on 
your feet, and your staff in your hand ; and ye shall eat it in haste : it 
is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt 
this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both 
man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute 
judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a 
token upon the houses where ye are : and when I see the blood, I 
will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy 
you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 



132 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And this day shall be unto you for a memorial ; and ye shall keep 
it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations ; ye shall keep it a 
feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened 
bread ; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses : 
for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the 

seventh day, that soul 
shall be cut off from 
Israel. And in the first 
day there shall be an 
holy convocation, and 
in the seventh day there 
shall be an holy convo- 
cation to you ; no manner 
of work shall be done in 
them, save that which 
every man must eat, that 
only may be done of you. 
And ye shall observe the 
feast of unleavened bread; 
for in this selfsame day 
have I brought your 
armies out of the land of 
Egypt : therefore shall 
ye observe this day in 
your generations by an 
ordinance for ever. In 
the first month, on the 
fourteenth day of the 
month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twen- 
tieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven 
found in your houses : for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, 
even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether 
he be a stranger, or born in the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened ; 
in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. 




HYSSOP PLANT. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 133 

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, 
Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the 
passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the 
blood that is in the basin, and strike the top beam and the two side 
posts with the blood that is in the bason ; and none of you shall go 
out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will 
pass through to smite the Egyptians ; and when he seeth the blood 
upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over 
the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your 
houses to smite you. 

And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy 
sons for ever. And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the 
land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, 
that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your 
children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service ? That ye 
shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over 
the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the 
Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the 
head and worshipped. And the children of Israel went away, and did 
as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 

And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the first- 
born in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his 
throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon ; and 
all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and 
all his servants, and all the Egyptians ; and there was a great cry in 
Egypt ; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 

THE ISRAELITES GO UP OUT OF EGYPT 

AND he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, 
and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the 
children of Israel ; and go, serve the Lord as ye have said. 
Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone ; 
and bless me also. And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, 
that they might send them out of the land in haste ; for they said, We 



134 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



be all dead men. And the people took their dough before it was 
leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon 
their shoulders. 

And. the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses ; and 
they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gT>ld, 
and raiment : and the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of 
the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they 
required. 

And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, 
about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. 
And a mixed multitude went up also with them ; and flocks, and 
herds, even very much cattle. And they baked unleavened cakes of 

the dough which they 
brought forth out of 
Egypt, for it was not 
leavened; because 
they were thrust out 
of Egypt, and could 
not tarry neither had 
they prepared for 
unleavened bread. themselves any vict- 

ual. Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, 
was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end 
of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to 
pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 
It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them 
out from the land of Egypt : this is that night of the Lord to be 
observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. 

And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the 
children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. And the 
Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, 
both of man and of beast : it is mine. 

And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which 
ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 135 

strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place : there 
shall no leavened bread be eaten. And it shall be when the Lord 
shall bring thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give 
thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this 
service in this month. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, 
and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord. 

And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done 
because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out 
of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and 
for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in 
thy mouth : for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out 
of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season 
from year to year. And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee 
into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy 
fathers, and shall give it thee, that thou shalt set apart unto the Lord 
every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall 
be the Lord's. And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with 
a lamb ; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his 
neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou 
redeem. 

THE DESTRUCTION OF PHARAOH. 

AND it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that 
God led them not through the way of the land of the Philis- 
tines, although that was near ; for God said, Lest peradventure 
the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt : but 
God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the 
Red Sea : and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the 
land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him : for 
he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely 
visit you : and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you. 

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in 
Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before 
them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by 



136 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



night in a pillar of fire, to give them light ; to go by day and night : 
he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire 
by night, from before the people. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children 
of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between 
Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon : before it shall ye 
encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 
They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them ; 
and I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host ; that the 
Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And it was so. 

And it was told 
the king of Egypt 
that the people 
fled : and the heart 
of Pharaoh and of 
his servants was 
turned against the 
people, and they 
said, Why have we 
done this, that we 
have let Israel go 
from serving us ? 
And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: and he 
took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and 
captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart 
of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: 
and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyp- 
tians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and 
his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, 
beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon. 

Great was the terror of the Israelites as they saw these armed men 
coming towards them. They had no arms themselves, so they could 
not fight them. They were shut in by the mountains on the one side, 




EGYPTIAN WARRIORS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



137 



and by the Red Sea on the other, so they could not run away from 

them. There seemed no way in which they could get out of their 

hands. In their distress they cried to God and he heard them. He 

said, You can do nothing, you need do nothing ; I will do all. Fear 

not, stand still, and see the salvation of God ; for the Egyptians 

whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see again no more for ever. It 

was about evening when the Egyptians overtook the Israelites. They 

felt so sure that they could not get away from them, that they pitched 

their tents near to the place where the Israelites were encamped, and 

waited till morning, meaning then to drive them back again to their 

slavery in Egypt. The 

Israelites were trembling 

with fear, when all at once 

they saw their pillar of fire 

move through the air and 

come between them and 

the Egyptians. Now it 

was a pillar of fire and a 

pillar of cloud both at once. 

To them it was a pillar of 

fire giving them light, but 

to the Egyptians it was a 

pillar of cloud, covering 

them with darkness. The Egyptians could not see the camp of the 

Israelites all night, for the thick cloud hid them from their sight. 

Still they thought that they were safe in their power ; they could not 

climb the mountains, they could not walk over the sea. 

Now, what happened ? Moses, at the command of God, stretched 
out his rod over the waters of the Red Sea, and they divided, and the 
sea was like a wall on the right hand and on the left. Then a strong 
east wind began to blow, which dried up a pathway for them through 
the sea. Now, Moses said, Ge forward ; so this vast host began its 
journey through this wonderful road to the land on the opposite side. 
It is supposed that the sea was eight miles wide in that part where the 




THE PILLAR OF FIRE. 



138 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Israelites crossed. It was not until morning when the Israelites had 
nearly all reached the further side, that the Egyptians became aware 
of what had taken place. 

Then they came to the spot where they thought the Israelites were 
staying, and they found them gone. And the Egyptians pursued, and 
went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, 
his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the 
morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians 
through the pillar of fire and of the cloud and troubled the host of the 
Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them 
heavily : so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; 
for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 

Pharaoh and his Host Overthrown. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, 
that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their 
chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his 
hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the 
morning appeared ; and the Egyptians fled against it ; and the Lord 
overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 

And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the 
horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after 
them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children 
of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea ; and the waters 
were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the 
Egyptians ; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the sea shore. 
And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the 
Egyptians : and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and 
his servant Moses. So obstinate, self-willed Pharaoh, who was bent 
on having his own way, found it was of no use to strive against what 
it was right for him to do. He found the truth of the words, He that, 
being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, 
and that without remedy. 




139 



140 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



The Israelites were full of gratitude as they looked at the dead 
bodies of their enemies now lying upon the sea-shore. Now they could 
hurt them no more ; they need never fear the Egyptian again. They 
might well feel that it was a great work that the Lord had done for 
them. The news of this mighty deliverance spread abroad into the 
distant countries through which they had to pass, and other nations 
feared to injure a people who were so clearly under the special care of 
God. Moses and the Israelites sang a song of thanks to God for 
helping them in this time of great need. It was all about God's 

goodness : it began and ended 
with, Sing ye to the Lord, for 
he hath triumphed gloriously; 
the horse and his rider hath 
he thrown into the sea. Mir- 
iam led the song and dance 
for the daughters of Israel. 
Having left the spot at which 
they crossed the Red Sea, 
the Israelites went into the 
desert southward, towards 
Horeb. This was not the 
direct way to Canaan — the 
land promised by God to 
Abraham and to his chil- 
dren; but first of all, before going there, the Israelites were to visit 
the place where Moses saw the burning bush. There they were to 
worship God, and he would then direct them what to do next. 

For three weary days they travelled on, but they came to no 
well of water. That which they had brought with them from their 
last resting-place was all gone, and now they were ready to die of 
thirst. In this cold country we do not know what it is to suffer from 
thirst as those do who live in hot countries where water is scarce. 
For three days the Israelites had toiled on, with the scorching, blazing 
sun above them, and the burning sands of the desert beneath their feet. 




DAUGHTERS OF ISRAEL DANCING. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



141 



No sound of streams gladdened their ears, no green tree or grass 
delighted their eyes. 

On, this vast multitude moves in silence, when at last they see green 
trees and bushes. Now they know that water is near. How they 
rush on to the streams, which are life to them, and the whole multitude 
stoops to drink. But, hark ! what is the meaning of that loud, wild 
cry of pain and disappointment? 

Brave men groan aloud ; the mothers weep for their children, whose 
sufferings are worse to them than 
their own : the little ones dash 
down the water with a moaning 
cry. But why? The water is 
so salt and bitter that they can- 
not drink it. The streams only 
mock the agony of their thirst, 
for they see water, but they 
loathe to taste it. They had 
been used to the sweet water of 
the Nile, which is some of the 
finest in the world. No wonder 
they were disappointed. But 
they murmured, instead of pray- 
ing to God. He had helped 
them through worse troubles 
than this, and they should have 
trusted in him now. They 
grumbled to Moses, and said, 
What shall we drink ? The Lord had pity on their suffering, and 
showed Moses a tree which he told him to throw into the waters, and 
then the bitter taste would be taken away, and they would be fit to 
drink. The name of the place where these bitter waters were was 
called Marah, for Marah means " bitter." The next day the Israelites 
moved on to Elim, and there they rested under the shade of beautiful 
palm-trees, and there they found an abundance of sweet water. 




PALM-TREE. 



142 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

THE ISRAELITES FED WITH MANNA. 

T "THEN the Israelites had been out of the land £f Egypt for about 
y/SL a month, they found that they had eaten up nearly all the corn 
and other food that they had brought with them. They were 
now in the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Sinai. They could buy 
no food in the desert, nor did any corn grow there. As they had before 
suffered thirst, so now they began to feel the pain of hunger. So they 
grumbled again. They said, It would have been better for us to have 
died in Egypt, than to come to this desert to die of hunger. Our first- 
born had better have been slain with those of the Egyptians, we had 
better have been drowned with our enemies in the Red Sea, than have 
come to this trouble. Then they began to think of the bread and 
meat they had eaten in Egypt, but they forgot how hard was their 
slavery there. Now they were free men, on their way to the land 
promised to their fathers. It was not brave of them to think so much 
of the difficulties by the way, and it was very faithless and foolish of 
them not to trust God, when he had helped them so often. 

God was grieved that they should murmur, yet he had pity on their 
wants. He sent them both meat and bread. That very evening a 
vast flock of quails came up and covered the camp and the Israelites 
were able to catch them in great numbers. They were most likely 
going to Egypt to feast in the cornfields, for this was about the 
season when corn was ripe. 

Now the Israelites had plenty of meat, and they could also dry the 
flesh of the birds that they did not want for present use, ready for a 
future day. This was done by stripping off the skin with the feathers, 
and putting the body of the bird into the hot sand for a little while, 
when it would be dry and keep good some time. 

This is the promise the Lord made, and we are also told how he 
kept his word. The Lord said unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread 
from heaven for you ; and the people shall go out and gather some 
every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law 
or not. On the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in : 




143 



144 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. And Moses and 
Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall 
know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt : 
and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord ; for that 
he heareth your murmurings against the Lord : and what are we, that 
ye murmur against us ? 

And Moses said, The Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to 
eat, and in the morning bread to the full ; for that the Lord heareth 
your murmurings which ye murmur against him : and what are we? 
Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. And 
Moses told Aaron to say unto all the congregation of the children of 
Israel, Come near before the Lord ; for he hath heard your 
murmurings. As Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the 
children of Israel, they looked towards the wilderness, and, behold, the 
glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 

Fed with Manna. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, I have heard the murmurings of the 
children of Israel : speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat 
flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread ; and ye shall 
know that I am the Lord your God. In the evening the quails came 
up, and covered the camp : and in the morning the dew lay round 
about the host. And when the dew was dried up, behold, upon the 
face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the 
hoar-frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, 
they said one to another, It is manna : for they knew not what it was. 

And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath 
given you to eat. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, 
Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer (about five 
pints) for every man, according to the number of your persons; take 
ye every man for them which are in his tents. 

And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some 
less. And when they measured it, he that gathered much had 
nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack ; they gathered 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 145 

every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man 
leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not 
unto Moses ; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it 
bred worms, and stank : and Moses was wroth with them. And 
they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating; 
and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. 

On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for 
one man : and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 
And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, 
To-morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord : bake that 
which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe ; and that 
which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 
And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade. And Moses said, 
Eat that to-day ; for to-day is a sabbath unto the Lord : to-day ye 
shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it ; but on the 
seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. 

The Manna Did Not Fail. 

Some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, and 
they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse 
ye to keep my commandments and my laws ? See, for that the Lord 
hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day 
the bread of two days ; abide ye every man in his place ; let no man 
go out of his place on the seventh day. 

The Israelites called the name of this bread "Manna," because they 
did not know what it was. The word manna comes from "man hu," 
the Hebrew of "what is this?" The manna was very nice; it was 
like meal and honey when eaten raw, but when cooked it had a taste 
of fresh oil, a flavor much liked by the Israelites. 

God did not wish the Israelites to forget how he had fed them in the 
wilderness, when they reached Canaan. He said, Save a measure full 
of manna, that it may be kept for future generations, to see the bread 
wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness.' The supply of manna 
never failed until they reached the land of Canaan. 
10 



148 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial 
in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua : for I will utterly put 
out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses 
built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi : for he said, 
Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with 
Amalek from generation to generation. 

Arrival of Jethro and Moses' Wife. 

When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of 
all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that 
the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt ; then Jethro, Moses' 
father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, 
and her two sons ; of which the name of the one was Gershom ; for 
he said, I have been an alien in a strange land : and the name of the 
other was Eliezer ; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, 
and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh : and Jethro, Moses' 
father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the 
wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God : and he said 
unto Moses, I thy father-in-law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy 
wife, and her two sons with her. 

And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance, 
and kissed him ; and they asked each other of their welfare ; and they 
came into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the 
Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, 
and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the 
Lord delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which 
the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand 
of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath 
delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand 
of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the 
Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods ; for 
in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. And 
Jethro took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, 
and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT- STORY. 149 

THE LAW GIVEN FROM MOUNT SINAI. 

IN the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth 
out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the 
wilderness of Sinai. For they were departed from Rephidim, 
and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the 
wilderness ; and there Israel camped before the mount. And Moses 
went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the 
mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and 
tell the children of Israel ; Ye have seen what I did unto the 
Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you 
unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and 
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me 
above all people : for all the earth is mine : and ye shall be unto me a 
kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which 
thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 

And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and 
laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded 
him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the 
Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the 
people unto the Lord. And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come 
unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak 
with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of 
the people unto the Lord. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify 
them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be 
ready against the third day : for the third day the Lord will come 
down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. And thou 
shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to 
yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of 
it : whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death : 
there shall not an hand touch it, but he shall, surely be stoned, or 
shot through ; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live : when the 
trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 



150 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and 
sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. And he said 
unto the people, Be ready against the third day. 

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there 
were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and 

the voice of the 
trumpet exceeding 
loud; so that all the 
people that was in the 
camp trembled. And 
Moses brought forth 
the people out of the 
camp to meet with 
God ; and they stood 
at the nether part of 
the mount. And 
mount Sinai was al- 
together on a smoke, 
because the Lord de- 
scended upon it in 
fire ; and the smoke 
thereof ascended as 
the smoke of a fur- 
nace, and the whole 
mount quaked great- 
ly. And when the 
voice of the trumpet 
sounded long, and 
waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a 
voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of 
the mount; and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; 
and Moses went up. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge 
the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many 
of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the 




MOSES RECEIVING THE TABLES OF THE LAW. 



iv 



3/ 



aE uofflje name «f @o(Ruuafe»3« 
or & f§* s$HfJT*(a§ jnrjkk@& 

aKJre0filpitiomuT3S tEsaa 
&ti^iomii)Ot£atir^ftTitImu, 



152 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. And 
Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount' 
Sinai : for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount 
and sanctify it. And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, 
and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee : but let not the 
priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest 
he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, 
and spake unto them. 

And God spake all these words, saying, 

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land 
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness 
of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, 
or that is in the water under the earth : thou shalt not bow down 
thyself to them, nor serve them : for I the Lord thy God am a jealous 
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the 
third and fourth generations of them that hate me ; and shewing 
mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my com- 
mandments. 

The Sabbath to be Kept Holy. 

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for 
the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou 
labor, and do all thy work : but the seventh day is the sabbath of the 
Lord thy God : in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy 
son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy 
cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates : for in six days the 
Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and 
rested the seventh day : wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day 
and hallowed it. 

Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon 
the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

Thou shalt not kill. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 153 

Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

Thou shalt not steal. 

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy 
neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, 
not* his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's. 

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the 
noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking : and when the 
people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto 
Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak 
with us, lest we die. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not : for 
God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your 
faces, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses 
drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the 
children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from 
heaven. Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye 
make unto you gods of gold. An altar of earth thou shalt make 
unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy 
peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen : in all places where I 
record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 

THE TABERNACLE AND THE PRIESTHOOD. 

AND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children 
of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that 
giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 
And this is the offering which ye shall take of them ; gold, and silver, 
and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' 
hair, and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 
oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, onyx 
stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. And 
let them make me a sanctuary ; that I may dwell among them. 
According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, 
and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. 



154 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And they were to make an ark of shittim wood, and overlay it 
with pure gold within and without. It was to have a ring of gold at 
each corner, and staves of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, to put 
into the rings to bear it with. And in the ark they were to put the 
testimony which God should give them. 

And they were to make a mercy seat of pure gold, with two cheru- 
bims of gold, one on each end, with their faces looking one to another, 
and their wings stretched out over the mercy seat. And the mercy 
seat was to rest upon the ark. And God said, There I will meet with 
thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from 
between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, 

of all things which I will give thee in 
commandment unto the children of 
Israel. Also they were to make a 
table of shittim wood, and overlay it 
with pure gold. It was to have a 
crown of gold round about, and rings 
and staves to carry it, like the ark. 
And dishes, and spoons, and bowls 
of pure gold were to be made for it. 
And upon the table shewbread was to 
be set before God always. And they 
an ephod. were to make a candlestick of pure 

gold, with six branches coming out of the side of it, three on each side. 
It was to be made with knops and flowers on each branch. And its 
seven lamps were to be lighted. And its tongs and its snuffdishes 
were to be of pure gold. All these things were to be made after the 
pattern which was shewed to Moses in the mount. 

And the tabernacle was to be made with ten curtains of fine twined 
linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet. Each curtain was to be 
twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits broad. And they were to be 
fastened together with fifty fastenings of blue and gold. And over 
these there were to be laid eleven curtains of goats' hair, longer than 
the linen curtains, and with one more to double over in front. And 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



155 



over these there was to be a covering of rams' skins dyed red, and a 
covering above of badgers' skins. And the boards and bars for the 
tabernacle were to be made of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, with 




THE MERCY SEAT. 

fastenings of silver. And its boards and its curtains were to be reared 

up according to the fashion which was shewed to Moses in the mount. 

And they were to make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and 



156 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



fine twined linen, adorned with cherubims, and hang it upon four 
pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. And they were to bring 
the ark of the testimony within the vail, and the vail was to divide 
between the holy place and the most holy ; and they were to put the 
mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. 
But the table was to be without the vail, and the candlestick over 
against the table. 

And the hanging for the door of the tent was to be of blue, and 
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework, 
and hung upon five pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold. 

Also they were to make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits 
square and three cubits high, with horns at the four corners. It was 




TABLE OF SHEWBREAD. 



ARK. 



GOLDEN CANDLESTICK. 



to be overlaid with brass ; its grate for burning the sacrifices, its pans, 
its shovels, basons, and fleshhooks were to be of brass. And it was 
to be borne on staves like the ark. 

And the tabernacle was to have a court round about it one 
hundred cubits long and fifty cubits broad, enclosed by linen curtains, 
hung on pillars of brass. And the gate of the court was to be hung 
with blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought 
with needlework. 

And Moses was to command the children of Israel to bring pure 
olive oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. 
Aaron and his sons were to orcler it from evening to morning before 
the Lord. And God said unto Moses, Take thou unto thee Aaron 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



157 



thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of 
Israel, that ye may minister unto me in the priest's office, even 
Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. And 
thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and 
for beauty. And these are the garments which they shall make ; a 
breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, 
and a girdle. 

And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, 
of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. And thou 
shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the 
children of Israel : six of 
their names on one stone, 
and the other six names of 
the rest on the other stone, 
according to their birth. 
And thou shalt put the two 
stones upon the shoulders 
of the ephod for stones of 
memorial unto the children 
of Israel : and Aaron shall 
bear their names before the 
Lord upon his two shoul- 

. r • i a i FLESH HOOKS USED BY THE HEBREWS. 

ders for a memorial. And 

thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; 
and thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones : 
the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle : this shall 
be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sap- 
phire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an 
amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: 
they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. And the stones shall be 
with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their 
names, like the engravings of a signet ; every one with his name shall 
they be according to the twelve tribes. And Aaron shall bear the 
names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon 




158 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before 
the Lord continually. 

And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and 
theThummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth 
in before the Lord : and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the 
children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually. 

And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. And 
thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, 




ANCIENT LAMPS. 

round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round 
about: a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe 
round about. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound 
shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, 
and when he cometh out, that he die not. 

And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like 
the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And 
thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre ; upon 
the forefront of the mitre it shall be. And it shall be upon Aaron's 




159 



160 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which 
the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts ; and it shall 
be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. 
And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make 
for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory 

and for beauty. And thou 
shalt put them upon Aaron 
thy brother, and his sons 
with him ; and shalt anoint 
them, and consecrate them, 
and sanctify them, that they 
may minister unto me in the 
priest's office. And God 
commanded Moses to con- 
secrate Aaron and his sons 
to the priesthood, by wash- 
ing them with water, anoint- 
ing them with oil, and cloth- 
ing them with the holy 
garments, and offering up 
sacrifices on their behalf. 
So Aaron and his sons 
were made priests, to stay 
at the tabernacle and burn 
incense and offer up sacri- 
fices for the children of 
Israel. Before this time 
other men might offer up 
the breastplate. their own sacrifices, as 

Abel, Noah and the Patriarchs had done. But now that God had 
chosen Aaron and his sons to be priests, no one else might offer up 
a sacrifice ; every man must bring his offering to the tabernacle, and 
let the priests burn it for him upon the altar there. 

The priests were commanded to offer up two lambs every day, one 





Kx (C Hi 


II 


1 11 /rm% w 


i» 










C\ Wl i 


Hack-/^ 




1 J/Ab 


iA 






ftplll^tpft IRSS 






■KftfrAVAiH 


|4AML 




J^iYA, 






Wl- 'mm 






!n 






y^.-'Ji 




M j.l H 


y/wmOXA 




dJAO\ 




ISlllIilil 


- ^Jijl a \ 


|U rA7XA 




J x^a»aCc/ ( 


i 


VEiiJkt: 




ffijv*^ 5 ^ - ' 




r"--t- a 


*^&ffi$jj 






' V?*5& £^t '*JV X jF> , U^kr^ll 1 




bw^v^^"0 v^GO^^/^v uL~- 




*'-"-' ■ * ■■ *"'" '" ^SH 




r^sV%?^3\^K5SV^^^4 






*r^*?gp '• v< y^^^ 













THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



161 



in the morning and the other in the evening, for the sins of all the 
people of Israel. But God told Moses that, if any man wanted to 
bring an offering for his own sins, alone, he might bring an ox, or a 
sheep or a goat to the door of the tabernacle and lay his hand upon 
it and kill it, and God would be pleased with it, for an offering, not 
because the blood of animals could take away sins, but it served as a 
shadow and type of the sacrifice of Christ, who poured out his blood 
unto death, in order to take away the sins of the world. 

The priests were to dismiss the people with a blessing saying to 




PRIEST. 



HIGH-PRIEST. 



LEV1TE. 



them : The Lord bless thee, and keep thee ; the Lord make his face 
shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee ; the Lord lift up his coun- 
tenance upon thee and give thee peace. Among the sacred seasons 
of the Israelites the most prominent were : the Sabbath day, the 
Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost, also 
called the Feast of Weeks and of the First Fruits ; the Feast of 
Tabernacles, the great day of Atonement, the Sabbath year, and the 
Year of Jubilee. 

The garments of the priests, which designated their office, were not 
11 



162 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

worn by the Levites. The priestly garments were very simple ; the 
chief article was a tunic, made with sleeves, held together by a linen 
girdle, and extending from the neck to the ankles ; the material and 
the color, white linen, were symbols of purity and holiness. In 
addition to this official garment, the high priest wore a blue robe or 
coat, adorned on the hem with pomegranates and bells of gold ; the 
former were symbols of the Word, and the bell was a symbol of 
proclamation. 

He also wore an ephod attached to the shoulders, made of costly 
materials of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet; the breast- 
plate was attached to it in front, by means of rings and chains, made 
of gold. This breast-plate was adorned with twelve precious stones, 
on which the names of the twelve tribes were engraved ; it was a 
memorial implying that the high priest, as the highest mediator of the 
old covenant, should always bear the people upon his heart. A small 
plate of gold was, besides, attached to the priestly mitre bearing the 
inscription : Holiness to the Lord. 

WORSHIPPING THE GOLDEN CALF. 

AND when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out 
of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto 
Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go 
before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of 
the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron 
said unto them, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of 
your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto 
me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in 
their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving 
tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy 
gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 
And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it ; and Aaron made 
proclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feast to the Lord. And 
they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and 




; : iSlll 



1C3 



164 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



brought peace offerings ; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, 
and rose up to play. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down ; for thy people, 
which thou broughtcst out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted them- 
selves : they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I com- 
manded them : they have made them a molten calf, and have wor- 
shipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, 
O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 




ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, 
behold, it is a stiffnecked people : now therefore let me alone, that my 
wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them : and 
I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord 
his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath. wax hot against thy 
people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with 
great power, and with a mighty hand ? Wherefore should the Egyp- 
tians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 165 

in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth ? 
Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. 
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou 
swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your 
seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will 
I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord 
repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. 

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two 
tables of the testimony were in his hand : the tables were written on 
both their sides ; on the one side and on the other side were they 
written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was 
the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 

The Tables of the Law Broken. 

And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, 
he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And 
he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither 
is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome : but the noise 
of them that sing do I hear. 

And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, 
that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed 
hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath 
the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt 
it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, 
and made the children of Israel drink of it. 

And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee that 
thou hast brought so great a sin upon them ? And Aaron said, Let 
not the anger of my lord wax hot : thou knowest the people, that 
they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, 
which shall go before us : for as for this Moses, the man that brought 
us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 
And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break 
it off. So they gave it mc : then I cast it into the fire, and there 
came out this calf. 



166 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the 
Lord's side ? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi 
gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, 
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his 
side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and 
slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every 
man his neighbor. And the children of Levi did according to the 
word of Moses : and there fell of the people that day about three 




MOSES DESTROYING THE TABLES OF THE LAW. 

thousand men. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said 
unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin : and now I will go up 
unto the Lord ; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 

And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have 
sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if 
thou wilt forgive their sin — ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out 
of thy book which thou hast written. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 167 

him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people 
unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee : behold, mine Angel 
shall go before thee : nevertheless, in the day when I visit I will visit 
their sin upon them. And the Lord plagued the people, because they 
made the calf, which Aaron made. 

SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE. 

AND Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of 
Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, 
saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord : 
whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the 
Lord ; gold, and silver, and brass. 

And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the 
presence of Moses. And they came, every one whose heart stirred 
him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought 
the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, 
and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, 
both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought 
bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold : and 
every man that offered made an offering of gold unto the Lord. 
And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, 
and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' 
skins, brought them. 

Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the 
Lord's offering : and every man, with whom was found shittim wood 
for any work of the service, brought it. And'all the women that were 
wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they 
had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 
And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun 
goats' hair. And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be 
set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate, and spice, and oil for the 
light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense. 

The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, 
every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for 



168 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by 
the hand of Moses. 

Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, 
in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to 
work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according 
to all that the Lord had commanded. 

And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of 

Israel had brought 




for the work of the 
service of the. 
sanctuary, to make 
it withal. And 
they brought yet 
unto him free of- 
ferings every 
morning. And 
all the wise men, 
that wrought all 
the work of the 
sanctuary, came 
every man from his 
work which they 
made ; and they 
spake unto Moses, 
saying, The people 
bring much more 
than enough for 
the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. And 
Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed 
throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any 
more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were 
restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all 
the work to make it, and too much. 

Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congrega- 



ALTAR OF INCENSE. 




169 




172 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



173 



he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar 
before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and 
bring it within the vail : and he shall put the incense upon the fire 
before the Lord. 

And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation 
when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he 
come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his house- 
hold, and for all the congregation of Israel. And he shall go out unto 
the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it ; and 




THE LAVER. 

shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, 
and put it upon the horns of the altar round about. And he shall 
sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse 
it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. 
And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and 
the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the 
live goat : and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the 
live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of 
Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon 



174 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit 
man into the wilderness : and the goat shall bear upon him all their 
iniquities unto a land not inhabited : and he shall let go the goat in the 
wilderness. 

NUMBERING THE PEOPLE. 

AND the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in 
the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the 
second month, in the second year after they were come out of 
the land of Egypt, saying, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of 
the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their 
fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls ; 
from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war 
in Israel : thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 

And Moses and Aaron assembled all the congregation together on 
the first day of the second month. And as the Lord commanded 
Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai, every male 
from twenty years and upward, all that were able to go forth to war. 
All they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three 
thousand and five hundred and fifty. 

But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered 
among them. For the Lord had spoken unto Moses, saying, Only 
thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of 
them among the children of Israel : but thou shalt appoint the 
Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels 
thereof, and over all things that belong to it : they shall bear the 
tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto 
it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi 
near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may 
minister unto him. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and 
to his sons : they are wholly given unto him out of the children of 
Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall 
wait on their priest's office : and the stranger that cometh nigh shall 
be put to death. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



175 



And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying-, And I, behold, I have 
taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all 
the firstborn among the children of Israel : therefore the Levites 
shall be mine ; because all the firstborn are mine ; for on the day 
that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto 
me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast : mine shall they 
be: I am the Lord. And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilder- 
ness of Sinai, saying, Number the children of Levi after the house of 
their fathers, by their families : every male from a month old and 
upward shalt thou number them. And Moses numbered them 



according to the word 




of the Lord, as he was 
commanded. And those 
that were numbered of 
them were twenty and 
two thousand two hun- 
dred and three score and 
thirteen. And Moses 
divided among the fami- 
lies of the Levites the 
charge of the tabernacle 
of the congregation and 
of the holy things. 
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children 
of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall 
separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves 
unto the Lord : he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, 
and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither 
shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All 
the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine 
tree, from the kernels even to the husk. All the days of the vow of 
his separation there shall no razor come upon his head : until the days 
be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall 
be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 



HIGH PRIEST WITH SIN OFFERING. 



176 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and 
unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of 
Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the 
Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee : the 
Lord lift up his coutenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they 
shall put my name upon the children of Israel ; and I will bless them. 

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEY. 

ON the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the 
tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony : and at even 
there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire 
until the morning. So it was alway : the cloud covered it by day, 
and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was 
taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel 
journeyed : and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children 
of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the Lord the 
children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord 
they pitched : as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they 
rested in their tents. And when the cloud tarried long upon the 
tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of 
the Lord, and journeyed not. 

And so it was, when the cloud was a kxv days upon the tabernacle; 
according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, 
and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. 
And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and 
that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed : 
whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they 
journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that 
the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children 
of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not : but when it was 
taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of the Lord they 
rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they jour- 
neyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the 
Lord by the hand of Moses. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 177 

And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in 
the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle 
of the testimony. And the children of Israel took their journeys out 
of the wilderness of Sinai ; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of 
Paran. And they first took their journey according to the command- 
ment of the Lord by the hand of Muses. 

And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days' journey : 
and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three 
days' journey, to search out a resting place for them. And the cloud 
of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 

And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, 
Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered ; and let them 
that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, 
O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel. 

THE PEOPLE MURMUR. 

AND when the people complained, it displeased the Lord : and 
the Lord heard it ; and his anger was kindled ; and the fire of 
the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in 
the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses ; 
and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. And 
he called the name of the place Taberah : because the fire of the 
Lord burnt among them. 

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting : and 
the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us 
flesh to eat ? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt 
freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, 
and the garlick, but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at 
all, beside this manna, before our eyes. And the manna was as 
coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium. And 
the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or 
beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and 
the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. ' And when the dew fell 
upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. 
12 



178 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every 
man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was 
kindled greatly ; Moses also was displeased. And Moses said unto 
the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant ? and wherefore 
have I not found favor in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all 
this people upon me ? Have I conceived all this people ? have I 
begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy 

bosom, as a nursing father 
beareth the sucking child, 
unto the land which thou 
swarest unto their fathers? 
Whence should I have flesh 
to give unto all this people? 
for they weep unto me, say- 
ing, Give us flesh, that we 
may eat. I am not able to 
bear all this people alone, 
because it is too heavy for 
me. And if thou deal thus 
with me, kill me, I pray 
thee, out of hand, if I have 
found favor in thy sight; 
and let me not see my 
wretchedness. And the 
Lord said unto Moses, 
Gather unto me seventy 
censers. men f th e elders of Israel, 

whom thou knovvest to be the elders of the people, and officers over 
them ; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that 
they may stand there with thee. 

And I will come down and talk with thee there : and I will take 
of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them ; and they 
shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not 
thyself alone. And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



179 



against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh : for ye have wept in the 
ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat ? for it was 
well with us in Egypt : therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye 
shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, 
neither ten days, nor twenty days ; but even a whole month, until it 
come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you : because that 
ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before 
him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt ? 

And Moses said, The people among whom I am, are six hundred 
thousand footmen ; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that 
they may eat a 
whole month. Shall 
the flocks and the 
herds be slain for 
them, to suffice 
them? or shall all 
the fish of the sea be 
gathered together 
for them to suffice 
them? And the 
Lord said unto 
Moses, Is the Lord's 
hand waxed short? bearing the ark through the wilderness. 
thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or 
not. And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 

And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails 
from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey 
on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round 
about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the 
earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and 
all the next day, and they gathered the quails : he that gathered least 
gathered ten homers ; and they spread them all abroad for themselves 
round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their 
teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against 




180 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. 
And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah : because 
there they buried the people that lusted. And the people journeyed 
from Kibroth-hattaavah unto Hazeroth ; and abode at Hazeroth. 

THE SPIES SENT OUT. 

AND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that 
they may search the land of Canaan, which I gave unto the 
children of Israel : of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send 
a man, every one a ruler among them. And Moses sent them to spy 
out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way 
southward, and go up into the mountain : and see the land, what it is; 
and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, 
few or many ; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be 
good or bad ; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in 
tents or in strongholds ; and what the land is, whether it be fat or 
lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good 
courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the 
time of the first-ripe grapes. 

So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of 
Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they ascended by 
the south, and came unto Hebron ; and they came unto the brook of 
Eschol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of 
grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought 
of the pomegranates, and of the figs. And they returned from 
searching of the land after forty days. 

And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the 
congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, 
to Cadesh ; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the 
congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told 
him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and 
surely it floweth with milk and honey ; and this is the fruit of it. 
Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the 
cities are walled, and very great : and moreover we saw the children 




181 



182 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south ; 
and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the 
mountains : and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of 
Jordan. 

And Caleb who was one of the twelve spies that went up stilled 
the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess 
it ; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up 
with him said, We be not able to go up against the people ; for they 
are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the 
land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, 
The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that 
eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and and all the people that we saw 
in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the 
sons of Anak, which come of the giants : and we were in our own 
sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. 

THE ISRAELITES TURNED BACK TO WANDER 
IN THE WILDERNESS. 

AND all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried ; and 
the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel 
murmured against Moses and against Aaron : and the whole 
congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the 
land of Egypt ! or would God we had died in this wilderness I And 
wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the 
sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not 
better for us to return into Egypt ? And they said one to another, 
Let us make a captain, and let -us return into Egypt. Then Moses 
and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congrega- 
tion of the children of Israel. 

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, 
which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes : and 
they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, 
The land which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good 
land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 183 

and give it us ; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only 
rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land ; 
for they are bread for us : their defence is departed from them, and 
the Lord is with us : fear them not. But all the congregation bade 
stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the 
tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke 
me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs 
which I have shewed among them ? I will smite them with the pesti- 
lence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and 
mightier than they. 

Moses Intercedes for the People. 

And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall -hear it 
(for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them:) 
and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land : for they have 
heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen 
face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou 
goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of 
fire by night. 

Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then : the nations 
which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the 
Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware 
unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. And now, 
I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou 
hast spoken, saying, The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, 
forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the 
guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the 
third and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of 
this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou 
hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. 

And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: but 
as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the 
Lord. Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my 
miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have 



184 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my 
voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their 
fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it : but my 
servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath 
followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereunto he went ; 
and his seed shall possess it. To-morrow turn you, and get you into 
the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. 

Only Caleb and Joshua to Enter the Promised Land. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall 
I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have 
heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur 
against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye 
have spoken in mine ears, so will I do toyou : your carcases shall fall 
in this wilderness ; and all that were numbered of you, according to 
your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have 
murmured against me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land, 
concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the 
son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. 

But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I 
bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But 
as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. After 
the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, 
each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even 1 forty years, and ye 
shall know my breach of promise. I the Lord have said, -LwhTsu rely do 
it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me : 
in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die. 

And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, 
and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing 
up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil 
report upon the land, died by the plague before the Lord. But 
Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of 
the men that went to search the land, lived still. And Moses told these 
sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people 1 mourned greatly. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 185 

And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the 
top of the mountain, saying, lo, we be here, and will go up unto the 
place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned. And 
Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of 
the Lord? but it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the Lord is not 
among you ; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. For the 
Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall 
by the sword : because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore 
the Lord will not be with you. But they presumed to go up unto 
the hill top : nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and 
Moses, departed not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came 
down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, 
and discomfited them, even unto Hormah. 

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found 
a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that 
found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and 
unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was 
not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto 
Moses, The man shall be surely put to death : all the congregation 
shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congre- 
gation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stories, 
and he died ; as the Lord commanded Moses. 

AARON'S ROD. 

i 

AND the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children 
of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to 
the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the 
house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the hous6 of 
their fathers twelve rods ; write thou every man's name upon his rod. 
And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi : for one rod 
shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt 
lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, 
where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's 
rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to. cease 



186 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they 
murmur against you. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, 




AARON S ROD THAT BUDDED. 



and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince 
one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod 
of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 187 

the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass, that on 
the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness ; and, behold, 
the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth 
buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses 
brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children 
of Israel : and they looked, and took every man his rod. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the 
testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels ; and thou shalt 
quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. And 
Moses did so : as the Lord commanded him, so did he. And the 
children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, 
we all perish. Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle 
of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? 

The Levites and the Service of the Tabernacle. 

And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance 
in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them : I am thy 
part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, 
I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inherit- 
ance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the taber- 
nacle of the congregation. 

Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the taber- 
nacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. But the Levites 
shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they 
shall bear their iniquity : it shall be a statute for ever throughout your 
generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 
But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave 
offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit : there- 
fore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall 
have no inheritance. Then came the children of Israel, even the whole 
congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month : and the people 
abode in Kadesh ; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 

And there was no water for the congregation ; and they gathered 
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the 



188 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we 
had died when our brethren died before the Lord ! And why have 
ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that 
we and our cattle should die there ? And wherefore have ye made 
us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us into this evil place ? it is 
no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither 
is there any water to drink. And Moses and Aaron went from the 
presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the 
congregation, and they fell upon their faces : and the glory of the 
Lord appeared unto them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 

Take the rod, and gather 
thou the assembly together, 
thou, and Aaron thy 
brother, and speak ye unto 
the rock before their eyes ; 
and it shall give forth his 
water, and thou shalt bring 
forth to them water out of 
the rock ; so thou shalt 
give the congregation and 
their beasts drink. And 
Moses took the rod from 
tomb of aaron. before the Lord, as he 

commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation 
together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; 
must we fetch you water out of this rock ? And Moses lifted up his 
hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came 
out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed 
me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore 
ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given 
them. This is the water of Meribah ; because the children of Israel 
strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them. And the chil- 
dren of Israel journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor. 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 189 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the 
coast of the land of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his 
people : for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto 
the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the 
water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them 
up unto. mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them 
upon Eleazar his son : and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, 
and shall die there. 

And Moses did as the Lord commanded ; and they went up into 
mount Hor in the sight of the congregation. And Moses stripped 
Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son ; and 
Aaron died "there in the top of the mount; and Moses and Eleazar 
came down from the mount. And when all the congregation saw 
that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all 
the house of Israel. 

THE BRAZEN SERPENT. 

AND they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red 
Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people 
was much discouraged because of the way. And the people 
spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought 
us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness ? for there is no bread, 
neither is there any water ; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 
And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the 
people ; and much people of Israel died. 

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, 
for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee ; pray unto 
the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses 
prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee 
a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole : and it shall come to pass, that 
every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live. And 
Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to 
pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent 
of brass, he lived. 



190 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, 
saying, Let me pass through thy land : we will not turn into the 
fields, or into the vineyards ; we will not drink of the waters of the 
well : but we will go along by the king's highway, until we be past 
thy borders. And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his 
border : but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out 
against Israel into the wilderness : and he came to Jahaz, and fought 
against Israel. And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, 




MOUNT NEBO. 

and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the 
children of Ammon : for the border of the children of Ammon was 
strong. And Israel took all these cities : and Israel dwelt in all the 
cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof 
Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And they turned 
and went up by the way of Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan went 
out against them, he, and all his people, to the battle of Edrei. 

And the Lord said unto Moses, Fear him not: for I have delivered 
him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land ; and thou shalt 




191 



192 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king- of the Amorites, which 
dwelt at Heshbon. So they smote him, and his sons, and all his 
people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land. 

THE DEATH OF MOSEJS. 

AND it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, 
on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the 
children of Israel, according; unto all that the Lord had given 
him in commandment unto them. And Moses rehearsed to them the 
story of God's promises, and of his anger at their unbelief and 
disobedience ; and how after their wanderings they had conquered 
Sihon the Amorite and Og the king of Bashan, and taken possession 
of their lands. 

Then came the time when Moses must die, for the Lord had said to 
him, Thou shalt see the land with thine eyes, but thou shalt not enter 
it. Thou shalt not go over Jordan. 

But before he died he chose Joshua to be the leader of the peopk 
after him, for so the Lord commanded him. And he gave him a 
charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage, for thou shalf 
bring the children of Israel into the land which the Lord sware unto 
them, and the Lord shall be with thee. Then Moses went up to the 
top elf Pisgah, that he might see the land and die. And Joshua and 
Phinehas the priest went with him on his way; but they saw him not 
when he died, nor did they know where he was buried, save that he 
was buried in the valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor. 

RAHAB CONCEALS THE SPIES. 

\TOW after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to 
J^y pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, 
Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now there- 
fore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land 
which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. There shall 
not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life : as 
I was with Moses, so I will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor for- 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



193 



sake thee. Be strong and of a good courage : for unto this people 
shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their 
fathers to give them. This book of the law shall not depart out of 
thy mouth ; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou 
mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein : for then 
thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good 
success. Have not I commanded thee ? Be strong and of a good 
courage ; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed : for the Lord thy 
God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. 

Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass 
through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you 





ANCIENT WRITING MATERIALS. 

victuals ; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go 
in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to 
possess it. 

Also, he spoke to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe 
of Manasseh — for these had had their portion given to them on the 
eastern side of Jordan — and said, Ye shall leave your wives, and your 
children, and your cattle, on this side of Jordan; but ye yourselves 
shall go up armed before your brethren, and, help them until the Lord 
shall have given your brethren rest as he hath given it to you. And 
they said, All that thou commandest us, we will do. 
13 



194 



TttE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy- 
secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and 
came into the house of a woman named Rahab, and lodged there. 
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men 
in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 
And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men 
that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house : for they be 
come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two 




THE PLAIN OF JERICHO. 

men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I 
wist not whence they were : and it came to pass about the time of 
shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither 
the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall over- 
take them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, 
and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon 
the roof. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto 
the fords : and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone 
out, they shut the gate. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 195 

And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the 
roof; and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given 
you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the 
inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how 
the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came 
out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, 
Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had 
heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any 
more courage in any man, because of you : for the Lord your God, 
he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 

The Spies Escape Through the Window. 

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I 
have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my 
father's house, and give me a true token : and that ye will save alive 
my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all 
that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And the men 
answered her, Our life for your's, if ye utter not this our business. 
And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will 
deal kindly and truly with thee. Then she let them down by a cord 
through the window : for her house was upon the town wall, and she 
dwelt upon the wall. 

And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers 
meet you ; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be 
returned : and afterward may ye go your way. And the men said 
unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast 
made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt 
bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us 
down by : and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy 
brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. And it 
shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into 
the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: 
and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on 
our head, if any hand be upon him. And if thou utter this our 



196 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us 
to swear. 

And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent 
them away, and they departed : and she bound the scarlet line in the 
window. And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode 
there three days, until the pursuers were returned : and the pursuers 
sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. 

So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and 
passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all 
things that befel them : and they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord 
hath delivered into our hands all the land ; for even all the inhabitants 
of the country do faint because of us. 

THE ISRAELITES PASS OVER JORDAN. 

AND Joshua rose early in the morning ; and they removed from 
Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, 
and lodged there before they passed over. And it came to 
pass after three days, that the officers went through the host ; and 
they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the 
covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, 
then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand 
cubits by measure : come not near unto it, that ye may know the way 
by which ye must go : for ye have not passed this way heretofore. 
And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves : for to-morrow 
the Lord will do wonders among you. And Joshua spake unto the 
priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before 
the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went 
before the people. 

And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify 
thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with 
Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests 
that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the 
brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 197 

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and 
hear the words of the Lord your God. And Joshua said, Hereby ye 
shall know that the living God is among you. Behold, the ark of 
the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you 
into Jordan. Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of 
Israel, out of every tribe a man. 

And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the 
priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall 
rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut 
off from the waters that come down from above ; and they shall stand 
upon an heap. 

The People Pass Over on Dry Ground. 

And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to 
pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before 
the people ; and as they that bear the ark were come unto Jordan, 
and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim 
of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of 
harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose 
up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan : 
and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, 
failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 
And the priests that bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm 
on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed 
over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. 

Thus were the waters of the Jordan divided according as the Lord 
spake unto Joshua, and the dry ground appeared in the midst of the 
stream. 

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over 
Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve 
men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command ye 
them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the 
place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall 
carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, 
where ye shall lodge this night. 



198 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the 
children of Israel, out of every tribe a man : and Joshua said unto 
them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst 
of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoul- 
der, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. 
And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded. And Joshua 
set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the 
feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood : and they 
are there unto this day. 

Passing Over the Jordan. 

For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, 
until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to 
speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: 
and the people hasted and passed over. And the children of Reuben, 
and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over 
armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them : about 
forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the Lord unto 
battle, to the plains of Jericho. 

On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel ; 
and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life. 
And the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Command the priests that 
bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan- 
Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come ye up out of 
Jordan. And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of 
the covenant of the Lord were come up out of the midst of Jordan, 
and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that 
the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his 
banks, as they did before. 

And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the 
first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. 
And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua 
pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, 
When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



100 



What mean these stones? then ye shall let your children know, say- 
ing, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your 
God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were 
passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried 
up from before us, until we were gone over: that all the people of 
the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty : that 
ye might fear the Lord your God for ever. And it came to pass, when 




FORD OF THE JORDAN. 

all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan west- 
ward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard 
that the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the chil- 
dren of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, 
neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of 
Israel. And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the 
passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of 




200 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 201 

Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow 
after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame 
day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of 
the old corn of the land ; neither had the children of Israel manna 
any more ; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up 
his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him 
with his sword drawn in his hand : and Joshua went unto him, and 
said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, 
Nay ; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And 
Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto 
him, What saith my lord unto his servant ? And the captain of the 
Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot ; for 
the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. 

THE SIEGE OF JERICHO. 

NOW Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of 
Israel : none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said 
unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and 
the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor. And ye shall compass 
the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus 
shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark 
seven trumpets of rams' horns : and the seventh day ye shall compass 
the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the 
ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people 
shall shout with a great shout ; and the wall of the city shall fall 
down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, 
Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven 
trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said 
unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is 
armed pass on before the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, 
when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bear- 



202 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



ing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and 
blew with the trumpets : and the ark of the covenant of the Lord fol- 
lowed them. 

And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the 
trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, 
and blowing with the trumpets. And Joshua had commanded the 

people, saying, Ye shall 
not shout, nor make any 
noise with your voice, 
neither shall any word 
proceed out of your 
mouth, until the day I 
bid you shout ; then 
shall ye shout. So the 
ark of the Lord com- 
passed the city, going 
about it once: and they 
came into the camp, and 
lodged in the camp. 
And Joshua rose early 
in the morning, and the 
priests took up the ark 
of the Lord. And seven 
priests bearing seven 
trumpets of rams' horns 
before the ark of the 
Lord went on contin- 
ually, and blew with 
the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward 
came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with 
the trumpets. And the second day they compassed the city once, 
and returned into the camp : so they did six days. And it came to 
pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the 
day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times : 




PRIEST BLOWING THE TRUMPET. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 203 

only on that clay they compassed the city seven times. And it 
came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the 
trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout ; for the Lord hath 
given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all 
that are therein, to the Lord: only Kahab shall live, she and all that 
are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we 
sent. And ye in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, 
lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, 
and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the 
silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto 
the Lord : they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. 

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets : 
and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, 
and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down 
Mat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight 
before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all 
that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox 
and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. 

And Joshua saved Rahab alive, and her father's household, and 
all that she had : and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day ; 
because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. 

And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man 
before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; he shall 
lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son 
shall he set up the gates of it. 

So the Lord was with Joshua ; and his fame was noised throughout 
all the country. 

THE TRESPASS OF ACHAN. 

BUT the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed 
thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, took 
of the accursed thing : and the anger of the Lord was kindled 
against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to 
Ai, which is beside Bjth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake 




204 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 205 

unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went 
up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, 
Let not all the people go up : but let about two or three thousand men 
go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for 
they are but few. 

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men : 
and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of 
them about thirty and six men ; for they chased them from before the 
gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down : where- 
fore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 

Joshua Commanded to Sanctify the People. 

And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face 
before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of 
Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O 
Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, 
to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us ? would to 
God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan ! O 
Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their 
enemies ! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall 
hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the 
earth : and what wilt thou do unto thy great name ? 

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up ; wherefore liest thou 
thus upon thy face ? Israel hath sinned, and they have also trans- 
gressed my covenant which I commanded them : for they have even 
taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, 
and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the 
children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their 
backs before their enemies, because they were accursed : neither will I 
be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to- 
morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of .Israel, There is an accursed 
thing in the midst of thee, O Israel ; thou canst not stand before thine 
enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 



206 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your 
tribes : and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall 
come according to the families thereof; and the family which the 
Lord shall take shall come by households ; and the household which 
the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he 
that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and 
all that he hath ; because he hath transgressed the covenant of the 
Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. 

So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by 
their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken : and he brought the 
family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites : and he 
brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 
and he brought his household man by man ; and Achan, the son of 
Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was 
taken : and Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory 
to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him ; and tell me 
now what thou hast done ; hide it not from me. 

Achan Confesses His Sin. 

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against 
the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done : When I saw 
among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred 
shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I 
coveted them, and took them ; and, behold, they are hid in the earth 
in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent ; and, behold, 
it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them 
out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto 
all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And 
Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the 
silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his 
daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and 
all that he had : and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 

And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us ? the Lord shall 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 207 

trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and 
burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And 
they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the 
Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of 
that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. 

THE CAPTURE OF AL 

AND the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dis- 
mayed : take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up 
to Ai : see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his 
people, and his city, and his land : and thou shalt do to Ai and her 
king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king : only the spoil thereof, 
and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves : lay 
thee an ambush for the city behind it. 

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai : and 
Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them 
away by night. And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall 
lie in wait against the city, even behind the city : go not very far from 
the city, but be ye all ready : and I, and all the people that are with 
me, will approach unto the city : and it shall come to pass, when they 
come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, (For 
they will come out after us), till we have drawn them from the city; 
for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first : therefore we will 
flee before them. Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize 
upon the city : for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand. 
And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city 
on fire : according to the commandment of the Lord shall ye do. See 
I have commanded you. 

Joshua therefore sent them forth : and they went to lie in ambush, 
and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai : but Joshua 
lodged that night among the people. And Joshua rose up early in the 
morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of 
Israel, before the people of Ai. And all the people, even the people 
of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before 



208 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY 



the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai : now there was a valley 
between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, and 
set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of 

the city. And 
when they had 
set the people, 
even all the host 
that was on the 
north side of the 
city, and their 
Hers in wait on 
the west of the 
city, Joshua 
went that night 
into the midst of 
the valley. And 
it came to pass, 
when the king of 
Ai saw it, that 
they hasted and 
rose up early, 
and the men of 
the city went out 
against Israel to 
battle, he and all 
his people, at a 
time appointed, 
before the plain ; 
but he wist not 
that there were 

Hers in ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all 
Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way 
of the wilderness. And all the people that were in Ai were called 
together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and 




ANCIENT SWORDS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 209 

were drawn away from the city. And there was not a man left in Ai 
or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, 
and pursued after Israel. 

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy 
hand toward Ai ; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua 
stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. And 
the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as 
he had stretched out his hand : and they entered into the city, and took 
it, and hasted and set the city on fire. And when the men of Ai 
looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city 
ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or 
that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon 
the pursuers. And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush 
had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they 
turned again, and slew the men of Ai. And the other issued out of 
the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on 
this side, and some on that side : and they smote them, so that they 
let none of them remain or escape. 

The Israelites Capture the City. 

And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. 
And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the 
inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased 
them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword until 
they w r ere consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and 
smote it with the edge of the sword. And so it was, that all that fell 
that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the 
men of Ai. For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he 
stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabi- 
tants of Ai. Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for 
a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the Lord which 
he commanded Joshua. 

And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desola- 
tion unto this day. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until 
14 



210 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



eventide : and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that 
they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the 
entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of 
stones, that remaineth unto this day. 

Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount 
Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of 
Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of 
whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron : and they 
offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace 




VIEW OF NABLOOS AND MOUNT GERIZIM. 

offerings. And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of 
Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 

And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood 
on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, 
which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, 
as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount 
Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the 
servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless 
the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 2U 

the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book 
of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, 
which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the 
women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant 
among them. 

THE CRAFT OF THE GIBEONITES. 

AND it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side 
Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of 
the great sea over against Lebanon, heard thereof, that they 
gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, 
with one accord. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what 
Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they did work wilily, and 
went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks 
upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent, and bound up; and 
/Id shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the 
oread of their provision was dry and moldly. 

And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto 
him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now 
therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto 
them, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a 
league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. 
And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? 
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are 
come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard 
the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt. And all that he did 
to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon 
king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. 
Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake 
to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet 
them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make 
ye a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision 
out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you ; but now, 
behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy : and these bottles of wine, which 



212 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



we filled, were new; and behold, they be rent: and these our 
garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long 
journey. 

And the men took of their victuals, and ask not counsel at the 
mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made 
a league with them, to let them live : and the princes of the congre- 
gation sware unto them. 

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made 
a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, 
and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel 

journeyed, and 
came unto their 
cities on the 
third day. Now 
their cities were 
Gibeon, and 
Chephirah, and 
Beeroth, and 
Kirjath-jearim. 
And the chil- 
dren of Israel 
smote them 
not, because 
skin bottles. the princes of 

the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. 
And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all 
the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them 
by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. 
This we will do to them ; we will even let them live, lest wrath be 
upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. And the 
princes said unto them, Let them live : but let them be hewers of 
wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation : as the princes 
had promised them. 

And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 213 

Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you ; 
when ye dwell among us ? Now therefore ye are cursed, and there 
shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood 
and drawers of water for the house of my God. And they answered 
Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that 
the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the 
land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, 
therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have 
done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand ; as it 
seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. 

And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of 
the children of Israel, that they slew them not. And Joshua made 
them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congre- 
gation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place 
which he should choose. 

JOSHUA CONQUERS THE KINGS. 

NOW it came to pass, when Adoni-zedec king of Jerusalem had 
heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed 
it ; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with 
Israel, and were among them ; that they feared greatly, because 
Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was 
greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty. Wherefore 
Adoni-zedec king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and 
unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and 
unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, 
that we may smite Gibeon : for it hath made peace with Joshua and 
with the children of Israel. 

Therefore the five kings of the Amorites gathered themselves 
together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before 
Gibeon, and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent unto 
Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy 
servants ; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us : for all 
the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered 



214 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the 
people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the 
Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not : for I have delivered them into 
thine hand ; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua 
therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night. 
And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a 
great slaughter at Gibeon. And it came to pass, as they fled from before 
Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horan, that the Lord cast 
down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died : 
they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children 
of Israel slew with the sword. 

"No Day Like That Before It or After It." 

Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered 
up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight 
of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon ; and thou, Moon, in the 
valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until 
the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this 
written in the book of Jasher ? So the sun stood still in the midst of 
heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there 
was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto 
the voice of a man : for the Lord fought for Israel. 

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to 
Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at 
Makkedah. And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings are found 
hid in a cave at Makkedah. And Joshua said, Roll great stones upon 
the mouth of the cave, and set men by it for to keep them : and stay 
ye not, but pursue after your enemies, and smite the hindmost of 
them; suffer them not to enter into their cities; for the Lord your 
God hath delivered them into your hand. 

And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had 
made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they 
were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into 
fenced cities. And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 215 

Makkedah in peace : none moved his tongue against any of the 
children of Israel. Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, 
and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. And they 
did so, and brought forth those five kings out of the cave, the king of 
Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of 
Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they 
brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the 
men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which 
went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the neck of these kings. 

And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. 
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and 
of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies 
against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew 
them, and hanged them on five trees : and they were hanging upon 
the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of 
the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took 
them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they 
had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain 
until this very day. 

And Joshua took Makkedah and Libnah, and Lachish, Eglon, 
Hebron, and Debir, and did unto them as he did unto Jericho and 
its king. So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, 
and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings : he left none 
remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of 
Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea 
even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon. 
And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, 
because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. 

JOSHUA DIVIDES THE LAND. 

THESE are the countries which the children of Israel inherited 
in the land of Canaan, which -Eleazar the priest, and Joshua 
the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the 
children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them. By lot was 



216 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

their inheritance, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, 
for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe. For Moses had given the 
inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: 
but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them. For the 
children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim : therefore 
they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, 
with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance. As the 
Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they 
divided the land. 

An Inheritance for Caleb. 

Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal : and 
Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou 
knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God 
concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I 
when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to 
espy out the land ; and I brought him word again as it was in mine 
heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the 
heart of the people melt : but I wholly followed the Lord my God. 

And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy 
feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for 
ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God. And now, 
behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five 
years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the 
children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this 
day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as 
I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even 
so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now 
therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; 
for thou heardst in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the 
cities were great and fenced : if so be the Lord will be with me, then 
I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. 

And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh 
Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance 
of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because 



218 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. And the name of 
Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; which Arba was a great man among 
the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. 

This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their 
families ; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward 
was the uttermost part of the south coast. And their south border 
was from the shore of the salt sea, from the bay that looketh southward : 
and the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. 
And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at 
the uttermost part of Jordan : and the border went up by the valley 
of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite ; the same 
is Jerusalem : and the west border was to the great sea, and the coast 
thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about 
according to their families. As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the 
Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day. 

The Tabernacle Set Up at Shiloh. 

And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, 
unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up 
from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el, and goeth out from Beth-el 
to Luz, unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether, and to Gezer: and 
the goings out thereof are at the sea. So the children of Joseph, 
Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. And they drave not 
out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell 
among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute. 

And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled 
together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation 
there. And the land was subdued before them. And there remained 
among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received 
their inheritance. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How 
long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of 
your fathers hath given you ? Give out from among you three men 
for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go 



220 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of 
them; and they shall come again to me. And they shall divide it 
into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and 
the house of Joseph shall abide in their coast on the north. Ye shall 
therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description 
hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. 

The Land Divided by Lot. 

But the Levites have no part among you ; for the priesthood of the 
Lord is their inheritance : and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe 
of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the 
east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them. And the men 
arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe 
the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and 
come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord 
in Shiloh. And the men went and passed through the land, and 
described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to 
Joshua to the host at Shiloh. And Joshua cast lots for them in 
Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the 
children of Israel according to their divisions. 

When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by 
their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the 
son of Nun among them : according to the word of the Lord they gave 
him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in mount Ephriam : 
and he built the city, and dwelt therein. So they made an end of 
dividing the country. Then the children of Israel appointed six cities 
of refuge, three on each side of the Jordan, as the Lord commanded. 
And forty-eight cities, with their suburbs, they set apart by lot, out 
of the other tribes, for the tribe of Levi. These were the cities 
appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that 
sojourneth among them, that whosoever that killeth any person at 
unawares might flee thither, and not die by the avenger of blood. 

And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give 
unto their fathers ; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And 




221 



222 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware 
unto their fathers : and there stood not a man of all their enemies 
before them ; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. 
There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken 
unto the house of Israel ; all came to pass. 

Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half 
tribe of Manasseh, and said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses 
the servant of the Lord commanded you, and have obeyed my voice 
in all that I commanded you : ye have not left your brethren these 
many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the command- 
ment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath 
given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them : therefore now 
return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your 
possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the 
other side of Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the command- 
ment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, 
to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep 
his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all 
your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them, and sent 
them away ; and they went unto their tents. 

THE PEOPLE RENEW THE COVENANT. 

AND it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given 
rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua 
waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all 
Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, 
and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: 
and ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these 
nations because of you : for the Lord your God is he that hath fought 
for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that 
remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the 
nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. 

And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and 
drive them from out of your sight : and ye shall possess their land, as 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 223 

the Lord your God hath promised unto you. Be ye therefore very 
courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law 
of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the 
left ; that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among 
you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to 
swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: 
but cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. 

The People Warned Against Idolatry. 

And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth : and ye 
know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath 
failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concern- 
ing you ; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed 
thereof. Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are 
come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you ; so shall the 
Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from 
offthis good land which the Lord your God hath given you. When 
ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he 
commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed 
yourselves to them ; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled 
against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which 
he hath given unto you. 

And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and 
called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their 
judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before 
God. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord 
God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in 
old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor : 
and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from 
the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of 
Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. 

And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau : and I gave unto Esau 
mount Seir, to possess it ; but Jacob arid his children went down into 
Egypt. I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, accord- 



224 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

ing to that which I did among them : and afterward I brought you 
out. And I brought your fathers out of Egypt : and ye came unto 
the sea ; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots 
and horsemen unto the Red Sea. And when they cried unto the 
Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought 
the sea upon them, and covered them ; and your eyes have seen what 
I have done in Egypt : and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. 
And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the 
other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into 
your hand, that ye might possess their land ; and I destroyed them 
from before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose 
and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor 
to curse you. 

Their Enemies Prevailed Not Against Them. 

But I would not hearken unto Balaam ; therefore he blessed you 
still : so I delivered you out of his hand. And ye went over Jordan, 
and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, 
the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, 
and the Gigashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites ; and I delivered 
them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drave 
them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites ; but 
not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. And I have given you a land 
for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell 
in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. 

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in 
truth : and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other 
side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it 
seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye 
will serve ; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on 
the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land 
ye dwell ; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. And 
the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the 
Lord, to serve other gods. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



225 



And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord : for 
he is an holy God ; he is a jealous God ; he will not forgive your 
transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve 
strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, 
after that he hath clone you good. And the people said unto Joshua, 
Nay; but we will serve the Lord. And Joshua said unto the people, 
Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, 
to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put 
away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your 
hearts unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, 
The Lord our God will 



we serve, and his voice 

we will obey. So Joshua 

made a covenant with 

the people that day, and 

set them a statute and 

an ordinance in Sechem. 

And Joshua wrote these 

words in the book of the 

law of God, and took a 

great stone, and set it up 

there under an oak, that 

was by the sanctuary of 

the Lord. And Joshua 

said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; 

for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us : 

it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. So 

Joshua let the people depart, every man into his inheritance. 

And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua, the son of Nun, 
the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, 
which is in mount Ephriam, on the north side of the hill of Gaash. 
And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of 
the elders that overlived Joshua. 
15 




BURIAL PROCESSION. 



226 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought 
up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which 
Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hun- 
dred pieces of silver : and it became the inheritance of the children of 
Joseph. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him 

in a hill that pertained to 
Phinehas his son, which was 
given him in mount Ephraim. 
And also all that generation 
were gathered unto their 
fathers: and there arose 
another generation after 
them, which knew not the 
Lord, nor yet the work 
which he had done for Israel. 
And the children of Israel 
did evil in the sight of the 
Lord, and served Baalim: 
and they forsook the Lord 
God of their fathers, which 
brought them out of the 
land of Egypt, and followed 
other gods, of the gods of 
the people that were round 
about them, and bowed 
themselves unto them, and 
provoked the Lord to anger. 
And they forsook the Lord, 
and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot 
against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that 
spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round 
about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them 
for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them : 




ASHTAROTH. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 227 

and they were greatly distressed. Nevertheless the Lord raised up 
judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 

And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was 
with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all 
the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groan- 
ings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And 
it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and cor- 
rupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to 
serve them, and bow down unto them ; they ceased not from their 
own doings, nor from their stubborn way. 

And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel : and he said, 
Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I com- 
manded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice ; I also 
will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations 
which Joshua left when he died: that through them I may prove 
Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, 
as their fathers did keep it, or not. Therefore the Lord left those 
nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them 
into the hand of Joshua. 

THE ISRAELITES FORSAKE GOD. 

NOW these arc the nations which the Lord left, to prove Israel, 
namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, 
and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount 
Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 
And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would 
hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded 
their fathers by the hand of Moses. And the children of Israel dwelt 
among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and 
Hivites, and Jebusites: and they took their daughters to be their 
wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and 
forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves. There- 
fore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them 



228 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

into the hand of the king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel 
served him eight years. And when the children of Israel cried unto 
the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer, who delivered them, even 
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. And the Spirit of 
the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: 
and the Lord delivered the king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And 
the land had rest for forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; 
and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, 
because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. And he gathered 
unto him the children of Amnion and Amalek, and went and smote 
Israel, and possessed the city of palm-trees. So the children of Israel 
served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. But when the chil- 
dren of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, 
Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed. And after him 
was Shamgar, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men. 

DEBORAH AND BARAK DELIVER ISRAEL. 

AND the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, 
when Ehud was dead. And the Lord sold them into the hand 
of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of 
whose host was Sisera. And the children of Israel cried unto the 
Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he 
mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 

And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel 
at that time. And she dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah between 
Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel 
came up to her for judgment. And she sent and called Barak the son 
of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the 
Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount 
Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of 
Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto 
thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his 
chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 229 

And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; 
but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, 
I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou 
takest shall not be for thine honor; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into 
the hand of a woman. And Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 

He Gathered all his Chariots. 

And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went 
up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. 
Now Heber the Kenite which was of the children of Hobab the brother- 
in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched 
his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. And they 
showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount 
Tabor. And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine 
hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from 
Haroshcth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah 
said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath 
delivered Sisera into thine hand : is not the Lord gone out before 
thee? 

So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and the ten thousand 
men after him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, 
and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that 
Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. But 
Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth 
of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the 
sword; and there was not a man left. Howbeit Sisera fled away on 
his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. 

And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my 
Lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her 
into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said untc her, 
Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And 
she opened a bottle of milk, and ^ave him drink, and covered him. 
Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, 
when any man doth say, Is there any man here? thou shalt say, No 



230 THE OLD TESTAMEiNT STORY. 

GIDEON SENT TO DELIVER ISRAEL. 

AND the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord : and 
the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because 
of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are 
in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds. And so it was, when 
Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, 
and the children of the east, even they came up against them; and 
they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, 
till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither 
sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the 
Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet unto the 
children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of 
Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of 
the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the 
Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave 
them out from before you, and gave you their land; and I said unto 
you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in 
whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. 

And there came an angel and sat under an oak which was in 
Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon 
threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And 
the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The 
Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto 
him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen 
us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, 
Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath 
forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 

And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and 
thou shalt save Israel from the hands of the Midianites : have not I 
sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I 
save Israel ? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am least in 




231 



232 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be 
with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he 
said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me 
a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until 
I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. 
And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. 

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes 
of an ephah of flour : the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth 
in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 
And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened 
cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he 
did so. 

Fire Out of the Rock. 

Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was 
in his hand and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes ; and there 
rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened 
cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And 
when Gideon perceived that he* was- an angel of the Lord, Gideon 
said, Alas, O Lord God ! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord 
face to face. And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee ; fear 
not : thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the 
Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah 
of the Abi-ezrites. 

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the 
east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the val- 
ley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he 
blew a trumpet ; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him. And he sent 
messengers throughout all Manasseh ; who also was gathered after 
him ; and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and un- 
to Naphtali ; and they came up to meet them. And Gideon said unto 
God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, behold, 
I will put a fleece of wool in the floor ; and if the dew be on the fleece 
only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that 
thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



233 



And it was so : for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the 
fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of 




gideon's fleece. 
water. And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot 
against me, and I will speak but this once : let me prove, I pray thee 
but this once with the fleece : let it now be dry only upon the fleece, 



234 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night : 
for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the 
ground. . 

Then Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, 
and pitched beside the well of Harod : so that the host of the Midian- 
ites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the 
valley. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with 
thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest 
Israel vaunt themselves against me saying, Mine own hand hath saved 
me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 
Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from 
mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two 
thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 

Three Hundred Chosen. 

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; 
bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there : 
and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, 
the same shall go with thee ; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This 
shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down 
the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one 
that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt 
thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his 
knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their 
hand to their mouth, were three hundred men : but all the rest of the 
people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 

And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that 
lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and 
let all the other people go every man unto his place. So the people 
took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the 
rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three 
hundred men : and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. 

And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, 
Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



T.M 



hand. But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant 
down to the host: and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward 
shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then 
went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed 
men that were in the host. And the Midianites and the Amalekites 




THE CAMEL POST. 

and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers 
for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by 
the sea side for multitude. 

And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a 
dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, 
a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto 



236 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay 
along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save 
the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel : for into his 
hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 

And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the 
interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host 
of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand 
the host of Midian. And he divided the three hundred men into 
three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with 

empty pitchers, and 
lamps within the 
pitchers. And he 
said unto them, 
Look on me, and do 
likewise: and, behold 
when I come to the 
outside of the camp, 
it shall be that, as I 
do, so shall ye do. 
When I blow with a 
trumpet, I and all 
that are with me, 
then blow ye the 
trumpets also on 
every side of all the 
So Gideon. 





THE RIVER JORDAN. 

ramp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon, 
and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside 
of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had 
but newly set the watch : and they blew the trumpets, and brake the 
pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the 
trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left 
hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they 
cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. 

And they stood every man in his place round about the camp ; and 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 237 

all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the 
trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even 
throughout all the host : and the host fled. And the men of Israel 
gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and 
out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And they took 
two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb : and they slew Oreb 
upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, 
and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to 
Gideon on the other side Jordan. 

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, 
both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also : for thou hast 
delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, 
I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you; the Lord 
shall rule over you. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old 
age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of 
the Abi-ezrites. 

And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who 
had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 
neither showed they kindness to the house of Gideon, according to all 
the eoodness which he had showed unto Israel. 

SAMSON. 

AND after a time the children of Israel did evil again in the sight 
of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the 
Philistines forty years. And there was a certain man of Zorah, 
of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife 
had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the 
woman, and said unto her, Behold thou shaft bear a son. Now there- 
fore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat 
not any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from 
his birth, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the 
Philistines. 

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson : and the 
child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord 



238 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and 
Eshtaol. And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in 
Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up, and 
told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in 
Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her 
for me to wife. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is 
there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among 
all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised 




SAMSON SLAYING A LION. 

Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for 
she pleaseth me well. But his father and his mother knew not that 
it was of the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the 
Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. 
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, 
and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion 
roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon 
him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 239 

in his hand : but he told not his father or his mother what he had 
done. And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she 
pleased Samson well. And after a time he returned to take her, and 
he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion : and, behold, there was 
a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. And he took 
thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and 
mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that 
he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion. So his father 
went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so 
used the young men to do. 

Samson's Feast and Riddle. 

And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty 
companions to be with him. And Samson said unto them, I will now 
put forth a riddle unto you : if ye can certainly declare it to me, within 
the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty 
sheets and thirty change of garments : but if ye cannot declare it me, 
•"hen shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. 
And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 
And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of 
the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days 
expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that 
they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare 
unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: 
have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? And Samson's 
wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me 
not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and 
hast not told it me. 

And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my 
mother, and shall I tell it thee? And she wept before him the seven 
days, while their feast lasted : and it came to pass on the seventh day, 
that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the 
riddle to the children of her people. And the men of the city said 
unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is 




240 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 241 

sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said 
unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out 
my riddle. 

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to 
Askelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave 
change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his 
anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. But 
Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his 
friend. But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat 
harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go 
in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him 

to go in. 

Foxes in the Corn. 

And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated 
her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister 
fairer than she ? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. And Samson 
said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philis- 
tines, though I do them a displeasure. And Samson went and caught 
three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and 
put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had 
set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the 
Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, 
with the vineyards and olives. 

Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this ? And they answered, 
Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, 
and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and 
burnt her and her father with fire. And Samson said unto them, 
Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that 
I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter : 
and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. 

Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread 

themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come 

up against us ? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come 

up, to do to him as he hath done to us. Then three thousand men 

16 



242 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, 
Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us ? what is 
this that thou hast done unto us ? And he said unto them, As they 
did unto me, so have I done unto them. And they said unto him, 
We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the 
hand of the Philistines. 

And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that you will not fall 
upon me yourselves. And they spake unto him, saying, No ; but we 




SAMSON SLAYING THE PHILISTINES. 

will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand : but surely we 
will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and 
brought him up from the rock. And when he came unto Lehi, the 
Philistines shouted against him : and the Spirit of the Lord came 
mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as 
flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. 
And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and 
took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said. With 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 243 

the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have 

I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had made an 

end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and 

called that place Ramath-lehi. 

And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, Thou 

hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant : and now 

shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised ? 

But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came 

water thereout ; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he 

revived. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty 

years. 

He Carries Off the Gates of Gaza. 

Then went Samson to Gaza, and it was told the Gazites, saying, 
Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait 
lor him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, 
saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. And 
Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors 
of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, 
bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to 
the top of an hill that is before Hebron. And it came to pass 
afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name 
was Delilah. 

And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said 
unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, 
and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him 
to afflict him : and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred 
pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, 
wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be 
bound to afflict thee. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me 
with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, 
and be as another man. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up 
to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him 
with them. Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the 
chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. 



244 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it 
toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. And Delilah 
said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies : 
now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And 
he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were 
occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Delilah 
therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto 
him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in 
wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms 
like a thread. 

He Tells the Secret of His Strength. 

And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, 
and told me lies : tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And 
he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the 
web. And she fastened it with a pin, and said unto him, The Philis- 
tines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and 
went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web. And she 
said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is 
not with me ? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not 
told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when 
she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul 
was vexed unto death ; that he told her all his heart, and said unto 
her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head ; for I have been a 
Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb : if I be shaven, then my 
strength will go from me, and I shall become like any other man. 

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent 
and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, 
for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines 
came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made 
him sleep upon her knees ; and she called for a man, and she caused 
him to shave off the seven locks of his head ; and she began to afflict 
him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines 
be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, 




245 



246 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist 
not that the Lord was departed from him. 

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him 
down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass ; and he did grind 
in the prison house. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow 
again after he was shaven. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered 
them together Tor to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and 
to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy 




SAMSONS VENGEANCE AND DEATH. 

into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god : 
for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and 
the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. And it came to 
pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, 
that he may make us sport. 

And they called for Samson out of the prison house ; and he made 
them sport : and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said 
unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 24? 

pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. 
Now the house was full of men and women ; and all the lords of the 
Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three 
thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. 
And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember 
me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, 
that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the 
house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his 
right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let 
me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his 
might ; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people 
that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were 
more than they which he slew in his life. Then his brethren and all 
the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him 
up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place 
of Manoah his father. 

THE STORY OF RUTH. 

\TOW it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that 
±_ \| there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth- 
lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and 
his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, 
and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon 
and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into 
the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi's 
husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took 
them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, 
and the name of the other Ruth : and they dwelled there about ten 
years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both ot them ; and the 
woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return 
from the country of Moab : for she had heard in the country of 
Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. 



248 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her 
two daughters-in-law with her ; and they went on the way to return 
unto the land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in- 
law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly 
with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The Lord 
grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her 
husband. Then she kissed them ; and they lifted up their voice, and 
wept. And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto 
thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters : why will 
ye go with me? nay, my daughters ; for it grieveth me much for your 
sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 

Ruth Cleaves to Naomi. 

And they lifted up their voice, and wept again : and Orpah kissed 
her mother-in-law ; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, 
thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people and unto her gods : 
return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to 
leave thee, or to return from following after thee : for whither thou 
goest, I will go ; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people 
shall be my people, and thy God my God : where thou diest, will I 
die, and there will I be buried ; the Lord do so to me, and more also, 
if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was 
steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. 

So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to 
pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved 
about them, and they said, Is this Naomi ? And she said unto them, 
Call me not Naomi, call me Mara ; for the Almighty hath dealt very 
bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me 
home again empty : why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath 
testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me ? So Naomi 
returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, 
which returned out of the country of Moab : and they came to Beth- 
lehem in the beginning of barley harvest. 

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



24!) 



wealth, of the family of Elimelech ; and his name was Boaz. And 
Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and 
glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And 
she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and 
gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part 
of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. 
And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the 
reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord 




RUTH GLEANING IN THE FIELDS OF BOAZ. 

bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the 
reapers, Whose damsel is this ? And the servant that was set over 
the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came 
back with Naomi out of the country of Moab : And she said, I pray 
you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves : 
so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, 
that she tarried a little in the house. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, 
Hearest thou not my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, 



250 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens : let thine 
eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them : have 
I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and 
when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which 
the young men have drawn. 

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and 
said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou 
shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger ? And Boaz 
answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that 
thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine 
husband : and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the 
land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest 
not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be 
given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art 
come to trust. Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord : 
for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly 
unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine hand- 
maidens. 

" Let Her Glean Among the Sheaves." 

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of 
the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the 
reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was 
sufficed, and left. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz 
commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the 
sheaves, and reproach her not : and let fall also some of the handfuls 
of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and 
rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out 
that she had gleaned : and it was about an ephah of barley. 

And she took it up, and went into the city : and her mother-in-law 
saw what she had gleaned : and she brought forth, and gave to her 
that she had reserved after she was sufficed. And her mother-in-law 
said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day ? and where wroughtest 
thou ? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she 
showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, The 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 251 

man's name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz. And Naomi said 
unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not 
left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. 

And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of 
our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me 
also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all 
my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is 
good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet 
thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz 
to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and 
dwelt with her mother-in-law. 

"At Midnight the Man Was Afraid." 

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall I 
not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not 
Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he 
winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing floor. Wash thyself there- 
fore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down 
to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he 
shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth 
down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou 
shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell 
thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest 
unto me I will do. 

And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that 
her mother-in-law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, 
and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap 
of corn : and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her 
down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, 
and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he 
said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid : 
spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid ; for thou art a near 
kinsman. 

And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou 



252 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, 
inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or 
rich. And now, my daughter, fear not ; I will do to thee all that 
thou requirest : for all the city of my people doth know that thou 
art a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am thy near 
kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, 
and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the 
part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will 
not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a 

kinsman to thee, as the 
Lord 1 i v e t h : lie down 
until the morning. And 
she lay at his feet until the 
morning: and she rose up 
before one could know 
another. And he said, 
Let it not be known that 
a woman came into the 
floor. Also he said, Bring 
the vail that thou hast 
upon thee, and hold it. 
And when she held it 
up, he measured six 
measures of barley, and 
laid it on her : and she went to the city. And when she came to 
her mother-in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she 
told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, These six 
measures of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy 
mother-in-law. Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou 
know how the matter will fall : for the man will not be in rest, until 
he have finished the thing this day. 

Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there : and, 
behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by ; unto whom he 
said, Ho, such an one ! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned 




AN EASTERN GATEWAY. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 253 

aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, 
and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. And he said unto 
the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, 
selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's : and I 
thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and 
before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it : 
but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know : for 
there is none to redeem it beside thee ; and I am after thee. 

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar 
mine own inheritance : redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot 
redeem it. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, 
Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, 
and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased 
to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, 
that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, 
and from the gate of his place : ye are witnesses this day. And all the 
people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. 

So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife : and she bare a son. 
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath 
not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous 
in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a 
nourisher of thine old age : for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth 
thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And 
Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse 
unto it. And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There 
is a son born to Naomi ; and they called his name Obed : he is the 
father of Jesse, the father of David. 

THE DEDICATION OF SAMUEL. 

NOW there was a certain man of mount Ephraim, and his name 
was Elkanah, and he had two wives ; the name of the one 
was Hannah, and -the name of the other Peninnah : and 
Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man 



254 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the 
Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, 
the priests of the Lord, were there. And when the time was that 
Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and 
her daughters, portions : but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion: 
for he loved Hannah. And her adversary also provoked her sore ; 
therefore she wept, and did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband 
to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and 
why is thy heart grieved ? am not I better to thee than ten sons ? 

Hannah's Prayer and Vow. 

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they 
had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the 
temple of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed 
unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O 
Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine 
handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt 
give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the 
Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon 
his head. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the 
Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her 
heart ; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard : therefore 
Eli thought she had been drunken. 

And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken ? put away 
thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I 
am a woman of a sorrowful spirit : I have drunk neither wine nor strong 
drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine 
handmaid for a daughter of Belial : for out of the abundance of my 
complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and 
said, Go in peace : and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that 
thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace 
in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her 
countenance was no more sad. 

And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the 




255 



256 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah; and the Lord 
remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass that she bare a son, and 
called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the 
Lord. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer 
unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went 
not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child 
be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the 
Lord, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah, her husband said unto 
her, Do what seemeth thee good ; tarry until thou have weaned him ; 
only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave 
her son suck until she weaned him. 

Samuel Brought to the House of the Lord. 

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with 
three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and 
brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh : and the child was 
young. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And 
she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman 
that stood by thee here praying unto the Lord. For this child I 
prayed ; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of 
him : therefore also I have lent him to the Lord ; as long as he liveth 
he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there. 

And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. Now the sons of Eli 
were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. But Samuel ministered 
before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover 
his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to 
year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 

And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And the Lord visited 
Hannah, so that she bare three sons and two daughters. And the 
child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also 
with men. And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before 
Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days ; there 
was no open vision. 

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



257 




place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could 
not see ; and ere the lamp of God went out in the 
temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was and 
Samuel was laid down to sleep ; that the Lord 
called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And 
he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I ; for thou 
calledst me. And he said, I called not ; lie down 
again. And he went and lay down. And the Lord 
called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel went to Eli, 
and said, Here am I ; for thou didst call me. 

And he answered him, I called not, my son; 
lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the 
Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed 
unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the 
third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, 
Here am I ; for thou didst call me. And Eli per- 
ceived that the Lord had called the child. There- 
fore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down : and it 
shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, 
Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went 
and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, 
and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, 
Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak ; for thy 
servant heareth. 

And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do 



mm 



mmm 




PEOPLE, WHO 



■ Sid not w ^W£ ^ 

)p WVETHjiORD THEIR HIARTS,-^^, 

MOW jgu WAS AN OLD MAN, AND hfsAT AT 
TH 4^ ATE S F THE C ' TY T ° HEAR THE TIDIN&S 
TAKEN HE FELL OVER, BACKWARD 

and was Billed 



STORY OF ELI ILLUSTRATED. 



258 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 259 

a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it 
shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I 
have spoken concerning his house: for I have told him that I will judge 
his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons 
made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And Samuel lay 
until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And 
Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and 
said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, 
What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee ? I pray thee 
hide it not from me : God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide 
any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. And 
Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he 
said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good. 

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none 
of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to 
Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the 
Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh : for the Lord 
revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. 

THE PHILISTINES TAKE THE ARK. 

AND the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went 
out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben- 
ezer : and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philis- 
tines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into 
his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel 
thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken ; and the 
two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phlnehas, were slain. And there ran a 
man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day 
with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he 
came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching : for his heart 
trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, 
and told it, all the city cried out. . And when Eli heard the noise of 
the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? 

And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety 



2C0 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




' ) 








and eight years old.; and his eyes ? |pfijg§^ 

were dim, that he could not see. 

And the man said unto Eli, I am 

he that came out of the army, and 

I fled to-day out of the army. 

And he said, What is there done, 

my son? And the messenger 

answered and said, Israel is fled 

before the Philistines, and there hath been also a 

great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons 

also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of 

God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made 

mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the 

seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck 

brake, and he died : for he was an old man, and 

heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. 

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and 
brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. When 
t'ie Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it 
into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And 
when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, 
behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth 
before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, 
and set him in his place again. And when they 
arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon 
was fallen upon his face to the ground before the 
ark of the Lord ; and the head of Dagon and both 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



261 



the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the 
stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of 
Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold 
of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. But the hand of the Lord was 
heavy upon them of Ashdod, and when the men of Ashdod saw that 
it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide 
with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. 

They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines 
unto them, and said, What shall 
we do with the ark of the God 
of Israel? And they answered, 
Let the ark of the God of Israel 
be carried about unto Gath. 
And they carried the ark of 
the God of Israel about thither. 
And it was so, that after they 
had carried it about, the hand 
of the Lord was against the city 
with a very great destruction : 
therefore they sent the ark of 
God to Ekron. And it came 
to pass, as the ark of God came 
to Ekron, that the Ekronites 
cried out, saying, They have 
brought about the ark of the 
God of Israel to us, to slay us 
and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of 
the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and 
let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people : 
for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city: the hand of 
God was very heavy there. 

And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines 
seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the 
diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord ? tell us 




DAGON. 



262 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




TH 




wherewith we shall send it to his place. 
And they said, If ye send away the ark 
of the God of Israel, send it not empty; 
but in any wise return him a trespass 
offering : then ye shall be healed, and it 
shall be known to you why his hand is 
not removed from you. Now therefore 
make a new cart, and take two milch 
kine, on which there hath come no yoke, 
and tie the kine to the cart, and bring 
their calves home from them : and take 
the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the 
cart; and put the jewels of gold, which 
ye return him for a trespass offering, in a 
coffer by the side thereof; and send it 
away, that it may go. And see, if it 
goeth up by the way of his own coast to 
Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this 
great evil: but if not, then we shall know 
that it is not his hand that smote us : it 
was a chance that happened to us. 

And the men did so ; and the kine 
took the straight way to the way of Beth- 
shemesh, and went along the highway, 
lowing as they went, and turned not 



TAKEN £Y THE PhJIJL- 
USTlBiES 




^EJ/ SET IT UPON 




A 



P^Kr^sM 




QBE p-EDPtA 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 263 

aside to the right hand or to the left ; and the lords of the Philistines 
went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh. And they of 
Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they 
lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the 
cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, 
where there was a great stone : and they clave the wood of the cart, 
and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord. 

And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that 
was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the 
great stone : and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and 
sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. And when the five 
lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same 
day. And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of 
the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and 
sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. And it came 
to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; 
for it was twenty years : and all the house of Israel lamented after the 
Lord. 

THE ISRAELITES DESIRE A KING. 

AND Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went 
from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and 
Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his 
return was to Ramah ; for there was his house; and there he judged 
Israel ; and there he built an altar unto the Lord. 

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons 
judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and 
the name of his second, Abiah : they were judges in Beer-sheba. 
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after gain, 
and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Then all the elders of 
Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto 
Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk 
not in thy ways : now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king 
to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord. And the Lord 



264 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




ISRAEL ASKS 
FOR A king; 

V\ ttYSPl£ASSS 

™e?ropvvet; 

hlEGOES TO 
ROD FOR 
WISDOM. 




said unto Samuel, 
Hearken unto the voice 
of the people in all that 
they say .unto thee : for 
they have not rejected 
thee, but they have re- 
jected me, that I should not reign over them- 
According to all the works which they have 
done since the day that I brought them up out 
of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they 
have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do 
they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken 
unto their voice : howbeit yet protest solemnly 
unto them, and show them the manner of the 
king that shall reign over them. 

And Samuel told all the words of the Lord 
unto the people that asked of him a king. And 
he said, This will be the manner of the king that 
shall reign over you : He will take your sons, 
and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, 
and to be his horsemen; and some shall run 
before his chariots. And he will take your 
daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, 
and to be bakers. And he will take your fields 
and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even 
the best of them, and give them to his servants. 
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of 
your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to 
his servants. And he will take your 
menservants, and your maidservants, and 



^ (5:0 D \AAVV YKJkR T WE. PRAtf^R ^N/^LU OF 
KVWXVc. CH\lOASWE\.\.AS0PAGREAft PROPHET. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 265 

your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 
He will take the tenth of your sheep : and ye shall be his servants. 
And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall 
have chosen you ; and the Lord will not hear you in that day. 

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel ; and 
they said, Nay ; but we will have a king over us ; that we also may 
be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out 
before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of 
the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. And the 
Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a 
king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man 
unto his city. 

SAUL ANOINTED KING. 

NOW there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, a 
Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, 
whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly ; 
and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person 
than he ; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of 
the people. And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And 
Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, 
and arise, go seek the asses. And he passed through mount Ephraim, 
and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not : 
then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were 
not : and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they 
found them not. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, 
Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; 
lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. 

And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of 
God, and he is an honorable man ; all that he saith cometh surely to 
pass : now let us go thither ; peradventure he can show us our way 
that we should go. And they went up into the city : and when they 
were come into the city, behold; Samuel came out against them, for to 
go up to the high place. Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear 



266 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



a day before Saul came, saying, To morrow about this time I will 
send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint 
him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people 
out of the hand of the Philistines : for I have looked upon my people, 
because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the 
Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this 




HOUSE WITH A PARAPET. 

same shall reign over my people. . Then Saul drew near to Samuel 
in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. 

And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before 
me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to-day, and to- 
morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. 
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



267 



mind on them ; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of 
Israel ? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house ? And Saul 
answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes 
of Israel ? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of 
Benjamin ? wherefore then speakest thou so to mc ? And Samuel 
took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and 
made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, 
which were about thirty persons. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. 




RACHELS SEPULCHRE. 

And when they were come down from the high place into the city, 
Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. And they 
arose early : and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that 
Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I send 
thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and 
Samuel, abroad. And as they were going down to the end of the 
city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he 
passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word 
of God. 



268 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, 
and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed 
thee to be captain over his inheritance? When thou art departed 
from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre 
in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah ; and they will say unto thee, 
The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy 
father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, say- 
ing, What shall I do for my son? Then shalt thou go on forward 
from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there 

shall meet thee three men going up 
to God to Beth-el, one carrying three 
kids, and another carrying three 
loaves of bread, and another carrying 
a bottle of wine : and they will salute 
thee, and give thee two loaves of 
bread. 

After receiving them thou shalt 
come to the hill of God, where is the 
garrison of the Philistines : and it shall 
come to pass, when thou art come 
thither to the city, that thou shalt 
meet a company of prophets coming 
down from the high place with a 
psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, 
and a harp, before them ; and they shall prophesy : and the Spirit of 
the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, 
and shalt be turned into another man. And it was so, that when he 
had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: 
and all those signs came to pass that day. 

And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpeh ; 
and said, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought up Israel out 
of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out 
of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you : and ye 
have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all 




ANCIENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 269 

your adversities and your tribulations ; and ye have said unto him, 
Nay but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before 
the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands. And when Samuel 
had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin 
was taken. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near 
by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of 
Kish was taken : and when they sought him, he could not be found. 

Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, if the man should yet 
come thither. And the Lord answered, Behold, he hath hid himself 
among the stuff. And they ran and fetched him thence : and when 
he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from 
his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, See ye 
him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among 
all the people ? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the 
king. And Samuel sent every man to his own house. 

And all the people went to Gilgal ; and there they made Saul king 
before the Lord in Gilgal ; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace 
offerings before the Lord ; and there Saul and all the men of Israel 
rejoiced greatly. And Saul and Jonathan his son went up and fought 
against the Philistines, and conquered them. 

So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his 
enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of 
Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and 
against the Philistines : and withersoever he turned himself, he vexed 
them. And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and 
delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. And there 
was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul : and when 
Saul saw any strong men, or any valiant man, he took him unto him. 

SAUL REJECTED FOR DISOBEDIENCE. 

SAMUEL also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to 
be king over his people, over Israel : now therefore hearken 
thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus saith the 
Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he 



270 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go 
and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare 
them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and 
sheep, camel and ass. And Saul gathered the people together, and 
numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten 
thousand men of Judah. 

And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. 
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to 
Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the 
Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of 
the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the 
sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that 
was good, and would not utterly destroy them : but every thing that 
was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 

Samuel's Visit to Saul. 

Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It 
repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king : for he is turned 
back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. 
And it grieved Samuel ; and he cried unto the Lord all night. And 
Samuel came to Saul : and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of 
the Lord : I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And 
Samuel said, what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine 
ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, 
They have brought them from the Amalekites : for the people spared 
the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy 
God ; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said 
unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me 
this night. And he said to him, Say on. 

And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast 
thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed 
thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and 
said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amelekites, and fight 
against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 271 

obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst 
evil in the sight of the Lord ? And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as 
great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice 
of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken 
than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and 
stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected 
the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 

And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned : for I have transgressed 
the commandment of the Lord, and thy words : because I feared the 
people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon 
my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord. And 
Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee : for thou hast 
rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from 
being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he 
laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said 
unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this 
day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou. 
And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a 
man that he should repent. Then he said, I have sinned : yet honor 
me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, 
and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. 

So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord. 
Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the 
Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, 
Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, as thy sword 
hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among 
women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in 
Gilgal. Then Samuel went to Ramah and mourned for Saul. 

DAVID CHOSEN KING. 

AND the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for 
Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? 
fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the 
Beth-lehemite : for I have provided me a king among his sons. And 



272 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




Behold, h*e keepeth the sheep 



Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came 
to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town 
trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou 
peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am come 
to sacrifice unto the Lord : sanctify yourselves, 
and come with me to the sacrifice. And he 
sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them 
to the sacrifice. 

And it came to pass, when they were come, 
that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the 
Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord 
said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, 
or on the height of his stature ; because I have 
refused him : for the Lord seeth not as man 
seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appear- 
ance but the Lord looketh on the heart. Again, 
Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before 
Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord 
hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto 
Jesse, Are here all thy children ? And he said, 
There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, 
he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto 
Jesse, Send and fetch him : for we will not sit 
down till he come thither. And he sent, and 



274 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful coun- 
tenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint 
him : for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed 
him in the midst of his brethren : and the Spirit of the Lord came upon 
David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 

But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit 
from the Lord troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, 
Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord 
now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, 
who is a cunning player on an harp : and it shall come to pass, when 
the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, 
and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me 
now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered 
one of the servants, and said, Behold I have seen a son of Jesse the 
Beth-lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant -man, 
and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and 
the Lord is with him. 

Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me 
David thy son, which is with the sheep. And Jesse took an ass, 
laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by 
David his son unto Saul. And David came to Saul, and stood before 
him : and he loved him greatly ; and he became his armor-bearer. 
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before 
me ; for he hath found favor in my sight. And it came to pass, when 
the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and 
played with his hand : so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the 
evil spirit departed from him. 

DAVID CONQUERS GOLIATH. 

\TOW the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle. 
J^y And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and 
pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array 
against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on 
the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side : and 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 275 

there was a valley between them. And there went out a champion 
out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose 
height was six cubits and a span. And he had a helmet of brass upon 
his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail ; and the weight of the 
coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass 
upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the 
staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam ; and his spear's head 
weighed six hundred shekels of iron : and one bearing a shield went 
before him. 

Goliath's Boastful Challenge. 

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto 
them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array ? am not I a 
Philistine, and ye servants to Saul ? choose you a man for you, and 
let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill 
me, then will we be your servants : but if I prevail against him, and 
kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philis- 
tine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day ; give me a man that we 
may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of 
the Philistine they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. 

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, 
whose name was Jesse ; and the three eldest sons of Jesse went and 
followed Saul to the battle : and the names of his three sons that 
went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him 
Abinadab, and the third Shammah. And David was the youngest ; 
and the three eldest followed Saul. But David went, and returned 
from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem. And the Philis- 
tine drew near morning and evening, and, and presented himself forty 
days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren 
an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the 
camp to thy brethren ; and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain 
of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with 
a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him ; and he 
came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and 



276 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



shouted for the battle. And David left his carriage in the hand of the 
keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted 
his brethren. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the 
champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies 
of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words : and David 




SHEPHERD LEADING HIS FLOCK. 

heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled 
from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have 
ye seen this man that is come up ? surely to defy Israel is he come up: 
and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him 
with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's 
house free in Israel. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



277 



And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall 
be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the 
reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he 
should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered 
him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that 
killeth him. And when the words were heard which David spake, 
they rehearsed them before Saul : and he sent for him. And David 
said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will 
Gfo and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art 
not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him : for thou art 
but a youth, and he a man of 
war from his youth. 

David said unto Saul, Thy 
servant kept his father's sheep, 
and there came a lion, and a 
bear, and took a lamb out of 
the flock : and I went out after 
him, and smote him, and deliv- 
ered it out of his mouth : and 
when he arose against me, I 
caught him by his beard, and 
smote him, and slew him. Thy 
servant slew both the lion and 
the bear : and this uucircum- coat of mail. 

cised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the 
armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that 
delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw 
of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And 
Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. And Saul 
armed David with his armor, and he put an helmet of brass upon his 
head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his 
sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go : for he had not proved it. 

And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not 
proved them. And David put them off him. And he took his staff 




278 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and 
put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a script ; and his 
sling was in his hand : and he drew near to the Philistine. 

And the Philistine drew near unto David ; and the man that bare 
the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, 
and saw David, he disdained him : for he was but a youth, and ruddy, 
and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am 
I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine 

cursed David by his gods. And the 
Philistine said unto David, Come to me, 
and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls 
of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 
Then said David to the giant, Thou 
comest to me with a sword, and with a 
spear, and with a shield : but I come to 
thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, 
the God of the armies of Israel, whom 
thou hast defied. This day will the Lord 
deliver thee into mine hand ; and I will 
smite thee, and take thine head from 
thee ; and I will give the carcases of the 
host of the Philistines this day unto the 
fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts 
of the earth ; that all the earth may know 
A sling. t hat there is a God in Israel And all 

this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and 
spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. 
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew 
nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to 
meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took 
thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, 
that the stone sunk into his forehead ; and he fell upon his face to the 
earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a 
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 279 

sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon 
the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath 
thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when 
the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the 
men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the 
Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. 
And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way of Shaaraim, 
even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel 
returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their 
tents. And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to 
Jerusalem; but he put his armor in his tent. And as David returned 
from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him 
before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 

DAVID AND JONATHAN. 

AND it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking 
unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of 
David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul 
took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's 
house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he 
loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the 
robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, 
even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. And David 
went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely : 
and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the 
sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants. 

And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from 
the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the 
cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, 
with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered 
one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, 
and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the 
saying displeased him ; and he said, They have ascribed unto David 
ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands : and what 



280 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




can he have more 
but the kingdom? 
And Saul eyed David 
from that day and 
forward. 

And it came to pass 
on the morrow, that the evil spirit 
from God came upon Saul, and he 
prophesied in the midst of the house: 
and David played with his hand, as 
at other times : and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. And 
Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to 
the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence 
twice. And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord 
was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul 
removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thou- 
sand ; and he went out and came in before the people. And 
David behaved himself wisely in all his ways ; and the Lord 
was with him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because 
he went out and came in before them. 

And Michal Saul's daughter loved David : and they told 
Saul, and the thing pleased him. And Saul said, I will give 
him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand 
of the Philistines may be against him. And Saul commanded 
his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, 
Behold, the kingr hath delight in thee, and all his servants love 
thee: n~w therefore be the king's son-in-law. And Saul's 




281 



282 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, 
Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that 
I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed ? And the servants of Saul 
told him, saying, On this manner spake David. 

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not 
any dowry, but to be avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul 
thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And 
when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be 
the king's son-in-law. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his 
men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men. And Saul gave 
him Michal his daughter to wife. 

Saul's Enmity Toward David. 

And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that 
Michal Saul's daughter loved him. And Saul was yet the more 
afraid of David ; and Saul became David's enemy continually. And 
Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they 
should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in 
David : and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to 
kill thee : now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the 
morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: and I will go 
out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will 
commune with my father of thee : and what I see, that I will tell thee. 

And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said 
unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David ; 
because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have 
been to theeward very good: for he did put his life in his hand, and 
slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all 
Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin 
against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul 
hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan : and Saul sware, as the Lord 
liveth, he shall not be slain. And Jonathan called. David, and 
Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David 
to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 283 

And there was war again : and David went out, and fought with 
the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled 
from him. And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he 
sat in his house with his javelin in his hand : and David played with 
his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the 
javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the 
javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul 
also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay 
him in the morning; and Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, If 
thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. So 
Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled. 

David's Escape from Saul. 

And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow 
of "-oats' hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth. And when 
Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul 
sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me 
in the bed, that I may slay him. And when the messengers were 
come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of 
goats' hair for his bolster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast 
thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? 
And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why 
should I kill thee? 

So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and 
told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went 
and dwelt in Naioth. And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and 
came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine 
iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my 
life? And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, 
my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show 
it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not 
so. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly 
knoweth that I have found grace-in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not 
Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. 



284 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I 
will even do it for thee. And David said unto Jonathan, Behold 
to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king 
at meat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field even unto 
the third day at even. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David 
earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city : 
for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. If he say thus, 
It is well ; thy servant shall have peace : but if he be very wroth, then 
be sure that evil is determined by him. And Jonathan said unto 
David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out 
both of them into the field. 

The Lad and the Three Arrows. 

Then Jonathan said to David, To-morrow is the new moon: and 
thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. And when 
thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and 
come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business 
was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. And I will shoot 
three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. And, 
behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I 
expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of 
thee, take them ; then come thou : for there is peace to thee, and no 
hurt; as the Lord liveth. But if I say thus unto the young man, 
Behold the arrows are beyond thee ; go thy way : for the Lord hath 
sent thee away. 

So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was 
come, the king sat him down to eat meat. And the king sat upon his 
seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall : and Jonathan 
arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. 
Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day : for he thought, 
Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 
And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the 
month, that David's place was empty : and Saul said unto Jonathan 
his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yester- 




285 



286 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



day, nor to-day ? And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly 
asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem : and he said, Let me go, I 
pray thee ; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city ; and my brother, 
he hath commanded me to be there : and now, if I have found favor 
in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. 
Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table. 

Then SauLs anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto 
him, Thou son of the pervese rebellious woman, do not I know that 




PARTING OF DAVID AND JONATHAN. 

thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, for as long 
as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be estab- 
lished, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore send and fetch him unto me, for 
he shall surely die. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said 
unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? And 
Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him : whereby Jonathan knew that 
it was determined of his father to slay David. So Jonathan arose 
from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 287 

month : for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him 
shame. 

And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into 
the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 
And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I 
shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. And 
when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had 
shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond 
thee ? And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. 
And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 
But the lad knew not anything : only Jonathan and David knew the 
matter. 

And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, 
carry them to the city. And as soon as the lad was gone, David 
arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, 
and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept 
one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, 
Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of 
the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my 
seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan 
went into the city. 

SAUL PURSUES AFTER DAVID. 

AND David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to 
Achish the king of Gath. And he departed thence, and escaped 
to the cave of Adullam : and when his brethren and all his 
father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. And every 
one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every 
one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him ; and he 
became a captain over them : and there were with him about four 
hundred men. And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab : and he 
said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray 
thee, come forth, and be with you; till I know what God will do for me. 
And he brought them before the king of Moab : and they dwelt with 



288 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

him all the while that David was in the hold. And the prophet Gad 
said unto David, Abide not in the hold ; depart, and get thee in the 
land of Judah. 

And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained 
in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every 
day, but God delivered him not into his hand. And David saw that 
Saul was come out to seek his life : and David was in the wilderness 
of Ziph in a wood. 

And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, 
and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him Fear not : 
for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee ; and thou shalt be 
king of Israel, and I shall be next unto thee ; and that also Saul my 
father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord : 
and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. 

"Upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats." 

And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul ; for Saul and 
his men compassed David and his men round about to take them- 
But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee and come ; 
for the Philistines have invaded the land. Wherefore Saul returned 
from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. And 
David went and dwelt in the strong holds at En-gedi. 

And it came to pass, when Saul returned from following the Philis- 
tines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness 
of En-gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen' men out of all 
Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of 
the wild goats. And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where 
was a cave ; and Saul went in to cover his feet : and David and his 
men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said 
unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, 
I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him 
as it shall seem good unto thee. 

Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. And 
it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he 




19 



289 



290 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid 
that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to 
stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of 
the Lord. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered 
them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up -out of the cave, and 
went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the 
cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul 
looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed 

himself. 

David Rewards Good for Evil. 

And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words saying, 
Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have 
seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to-day into mine hand in 
the cave : and some bade me kill thee : but mine eye spared thee ; 
and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord : for he is 
the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of 
thy robe in my hand : for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and 
killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor trans- 
gression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee ; yet thou 
huntest my soul to take it. The Lord therefore be judge, and judge 
between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out 
of thine hand. 

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these 
words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David ? And 
Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art 
more righteous than I : for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I 
have rewarded thee evil. And now, behold, I know well that thou 
shalt surely be king, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in 
thine hand. Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou 
wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name 
out of my father's house. And David sware unto Saul. 

And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together and 
lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David 
arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 291 

DAVID SPARES SAUL'S LIFE THE 
SECOND TIME. 

AND the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not 
David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before 
Jeshimon ? Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness 
of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek 
David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hill of 
Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in 
the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness- 
David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in 
very deed. 

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched : 
and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, 
the captain of his host : and Saul lay in the trench, and the people 
pitched round about him. Then David said, Who will go down with 
me to Saul to the camp ? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. 
So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul 
lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at 
his bolster : but Abner and the people lay round about him. Then 
said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand 
this day : now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear 
even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not : for who can stretch 
forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless ? David 
said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or 
his day shall come to die ; or he shall descend into battle and perish. 
The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's 
anointed : but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his 
bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the 
spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them 
away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither waked : for they were 
all asleep ; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them. 

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an 




292 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 293 

hill afar off; a great space being between them and David cried to 
the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Ariswerest thou not, 
Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to 
the king? And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? 
and who is like to thee in Israel ? wherefore then hast thou not kept 
thy lord the king ? for there came one of the people in to destroy the 
king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the 
Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your 
master the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, 
and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 

Saul Promises to do David no Harm. 

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son 
David ? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he 
said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant ? for what 
have I done ? or what evil is in mine hand? Then said Saul, I have 
sinned: return, my son David : for I will no more do thee harm, because 
my soul was precious in thine eyes this day : behold, I have played 
the fool and have erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, 
Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and 
fetch it. The Lord render to every man his righteousness and his 
faithfulness : for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to-day, but I 
would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed. And, 
behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my 
life be much set by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out 
of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son 
David : thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. 
So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. 

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the 
hand of Saul : there is nothing better for me than that I should 
speedily escape into the land of the Philistines : and Saul shall despair 
of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel : so shall I escape 
out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six 
hundred men that were with him unto Achish, king of Gath. 



2U4 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

THE DEATH OF SAUL. 

NOW the Philistines fought against Israel : and the men of Israel 
fled from before the Israelites, and fell down slain in mount 
Gilboa. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and his 
sons ; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchi- 
shua, Saul's sons. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the 
archers hit him ; and he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said 
Saul unto his armor-bearer, Draw thy sword and thrust me through 
therewith : lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and 
abuse me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was sore afraid. 
Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it. And when his armor- 
bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, 
and died with him. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor- 
bearer, and all his men, that same day together. 

And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the 
valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men 
of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the 
cities, and fled ; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. And it 
came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the 
slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. 

DAVID MADE KING OF ISRAEL. 

AND it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, 
saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah ? And 
the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, whither 
shall I go up ? And he said, Unto Hebron. And the men of Judah 
came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. 
But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ish-bosheth 
the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim ; and made him 
the king over all Israel. But the house of Judah followed David- 
And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah 
was seven years and six months. 

Th,en came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spake,, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 295 

saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Also in time past, when 
Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in 
Israel : and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, 
and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. So all the elders of Israel 
came to the king to Hebron ; and David made a league with them in 
Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. 
David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned 
forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six 
months ; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all 
Israel and Judah. 

And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites : 
which spake unto David, saying, thou shalt not come in hither. Never- 
theless David took the stronghold of Zion : the same is the city of David. 
And David went on and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was 
with him. 

DEATH OF DAVID'S CHILD. 

AFTER this the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David was 
very sick. And David besought God for the child, and fasted, 
and went to his chamber, and lay all night upon the ground. 
And when the elders of his house would have raised him from the 
earth, he refused ; neither would he eat bread. On the seventh day 
the child died. The servants of David feared to tell him that the child 
was dead ; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we 
spoke unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice; what hurt 
will he do to himself if we tell him that the child is dead ? 

Hut when David saw that his servants whispered together, he per- 
ceived that the child was dead. Then he said to his servants, Is the 
child dead? And they said, He is dead. Thereupon David arose 
from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his 
apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped. 
Then said his servants unto him, What thino; is this that thou hast 
done ? Thou didst fast and Weep for the child while it was alive ; 
but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread ? 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 297 

And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for 
I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the 
child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore shall I fast? Can I 
bring him back again ? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to 
me. 

THE REVOLT OF ABSALOM. 

BUT in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom 
the king's son for his beauty : from the sole of his foot even to 
the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when 
he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it : 
because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it :) he weighed 
the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight. 
And Absalom had slain his brother Ammon, and had fled from his 
father's face. Three years he dwelt in Geshur, and the soul of king 
David longed to go forth unto him. And when Joab saw that the 
king's heart was toward Absalom, he caused a woman of Tekoah, by 
a parable, to plead for his recall. So Joab arose and went to Geshur, 
and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. And the king said, Let him turn 
to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned 
to his own house. 

So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the 
king's face. Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to 
the king ; but he would not come to him. And when he sent again 
the second time he would not come. Therefore he said unto his ser- 
vants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and 
set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. Then 
Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, 
Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire? And Absalom 
answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I 
may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? 
it had been good for me to have been there still : now therefore let me 
see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. 
So Joab came to the king, and told him ; and when he called for 



298 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the 
ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom. 

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots 
and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom rose up 
early, and stood beside the way of the gate : and it was so, that when 
any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then 
Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou ? And he 
said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said 
unto him, See, thy matters are good and right ; but there is no man 
deputed of the king to hear thee. 

Stole the Hearts of the Men of Israel. 

Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, 
and every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and 
I would do him justice ! And it was so, that when any man came 
nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, 
and kissed him. And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that 
came to the king for judgment : so Absalom stole the hearts of the 
men of Israel. 

And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the 
king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed 
unto the Lord, in Hebron. For thy servant vowed a vow while I 
abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again 
indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. And the king said 
unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron. But 
Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As 
soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom 
reigneth in Hebron. 

And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that 
were called ; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any 
thing. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's coun- 
sellor, from his city even from Giloh, while lie offered sacrifices. And 
the conspiracy was strong ; for the people increased continually with 
Absalom, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 299 

And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the 
men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said unto all his servants 
that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee ; for we shall 
not else escape from Absalom : make speed to depart, lest he overtake 
us suddenly and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge 
of the sword. And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, 
thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint. 
And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a 
place that was far off. And all the country wept with a loud voice, 
and all the people passed over : the king also himself passed over the 
brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, towards the wilderness. 

The Ark again at Jerusalem. 

And lo, Zadok also and all the Levites were with him, bearing the 
ark of the covenant of God : and they set down the ark of God ; and 
Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the 
city. And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into 
the city : if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring 
me again, and show me both it, and his habitation ; but if he thus say, 
I have no delight in thee ; behold here am I, let him do to me as 
seemeth good unto him. Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the 
ark of God again to Jerusalem : and they tarried there. 

And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he 
went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot : and all the 
people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went 
up, weeping as they went up. And one told David, saying, Ahitho- 
phel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O 
Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 

And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the 
mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came 
to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head : unto whom 
David said, If thou passeth on with me, then thou shalt be a burden 
unto me : but if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will 
be thy servant, O king : as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, 



300 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

so will I now also be thy servant : then mayest thou for me defeat 
the counsel of Ahithophel. And hast thou not there with thee Zadok 
and Abiathar the priests ? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever 
thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell to Zadok and 
Abiathar the priests. Behold, they have there with them their two 
sons, and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye hear. 
So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into 
Jerusalem. 

And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out 
a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the 
son of Gera : he came forth, and cursed still as he came. Then said 
Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog 
curse my lord the king ? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his 
head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of 
Zeruiah ? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, 
Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so ? 

Threw Stones at David. 

And David said unto Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my 
son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life : how much 
more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse ; 
for the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the Lord will look on 
mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing 
this day. And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went 
along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and 
threw stones at him, and cast dust. 

And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to 
Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. And it came to pass, when 
Hushai, the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that 
Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. 
And Absalom said to Hushai, is this thy kindness to thy friend ? why 
wentest thou not with thy friend ? And Hushai said unto Absalom, 
Nay ; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, 
choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. And again, Whom 




301 



302 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

should I serve ? should I not serve in the presence of his son ? as I 
have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence. 

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what 
we shall do. And the counsel of Ahithopel, which he counselled in 
those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was 
all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. 

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out 
twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this 
night : and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, 
and will make him afraid : and all the people that are with him shall 
flee; and I will smite the king only: and I will bring back all the 
people unto thee. And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the 
elders of Israel. 

Counsel of Ahithophel and Hushai. 

Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us 
hear likewise what he saith. And when Hushai was come to Absalom, 
Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this 
manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou. And 
Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is 
not good at this time. For, said H ushai, thou knowest thy father and his 
men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a 
bear robbed of her whelps in the field : and thy father is a man of war, and 
will not lodge with the people. Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or 
in some other place : and it will come to pass, when some of them be 
overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a 
slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. And he also that 
is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt : for 
all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be 
with him are valiant men. 

Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, 
from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for mul- 
titude : and that thou go to battle in thine own person. So shall we 
come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 303 

light upon him as the dew falleth upon the ground : and of him and 
of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. 
Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes 
to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one 
small stone found there. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, 
The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of 
Ahithophel. For the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel 
of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon 
Absalom. 

Then said Hushai unto Zadok and Abiathar the priests, Thus and 
thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel ; and 
thus and thus have I counselled. Now therefore send quickly, and 
tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness 
but speedily pass over ; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the 
people that are with him. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by 
En-rogel ; for they might not be seen to come into the city : and a 
wench went and told them; and they went and told king David. 
Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom : but they went both 
of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which 
had a well in his court ; whither they went down. 

Put His House in Order and Hanged Himself. 

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, 
and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known. And 
when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, 
Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, 
They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought 
and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. And it came to 
pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and 
went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly 
over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you. 

Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they 
passed over Jordan : by the morning light there lacked not one of them 
that was not gone over Jordan. And when Ahithophel saw that his 



304 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him 
home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and 
hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. 
Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, 
he and all the men of Israel with him. And Absalom made Amasa 
captain of the host instead of Joab. So Israel and Absalom pitched 
in the land of Gilead. 

THE DEATH OF ABSALOM. 

AND David numbered the people that were with him, and set 
captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 
And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand 
of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, 
Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. 
And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you 
myself also. But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for 
if we flee away, they wilt not care for us ; neither if half of us die, will 
they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: there- 
fore now it is better that thou succor us out of the city. 

And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. 
And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by 
hundreds and by thousands. And the king commanded Joab and 
Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young 
man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king 
gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. So the people 
went out into the field against Israel : and the battle was in the wood 
of Ephraim ; where the people of Israel were slain before the servants 
of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty 
thousand men. For the battle was there scattered over the face of all 
the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the 
sword devoured. 

And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode 
upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great 
oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



305 



between the heaven and the earth ; and the mule that was under him 
went away. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, 
Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. 

And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou 
sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? 
and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle. And 
the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels 
of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against 
the king's son : for in our 
hearing the king charged 
thee and Abishai and Ittai, 
saying, Beware that none 
touch the young man Ab- 
salom. Otherwise I should 
have wrought falsehood 
against mine own life: for 
there is no matter hid from 
the king, and thou thyself 
wouldest have set thyself 
against me. 

Then said Joab, I may 
not tarry thus with thee. 
And he took three darts 
in his hand, and thrust 
them through the heart of mode of travelling in the east. 
Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. And ten 
young men that bare Joab's armor compassed about and smote 
Absalom, and slew him. And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people 
returned from pursuing after Israel ; for Joab held back the people. 
And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, 
and laid a very great heap of stones upon him : and all Israel fled 
every one to his tent. 

Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear 
the king tidings, how that the Lord hath avenged him of his enemies. 
20 




306 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but 
thou shalt bear tidings another day : but this day thou shalt bear no 
tidings, because the king'b son is dead. Then said Joab to Cushi, 
Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself 
unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zodok yet again 
to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. 
And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou 
hast no tidings ready? But howsoever, said he, let me run. And 
he said unto him, Run. 

Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. 
And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, All is well. And he fell 
down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be 
the Lord thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up 
their hand against my lord the king. And the king said, Is the young 
man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the 
king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew 
not what it was. And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand 
here. And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, Cushi 
came ; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king : for the Lord hath 
avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. 

And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? 
And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that 
rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the 
king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, 
and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, 
my son Absalom ! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my 
son, my son! 

DAVID BROUGHT BACK TO JERUSALEM. 

AND all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of 
Israel, saying, The king saved us out of the hand of our 
enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philis- 
tines; and now he is fled out of the land for Absalom. Now therefore 
why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back ? 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 307 

And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, 
Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring 
the king back to his house ? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to 
the king, even to his house. Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones 
and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king? 
And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of 
one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and 
all thy servants. So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And 
Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over 
Jordan. 

A Ferry-Boat for the King's Household. 

And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, which was of Bahurim, 
hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David. 
And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the 
servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty 
servants with him ; and they went over Jordan before the king. And 
there went over a ferry boat to carry over the king's household, and 
to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down 
before the king, as he was come over Jordan; and said unto the king, 
Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember 
that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king 
went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. For thy 
servant doth know that I have sinned : therefore, behold, I am come 
the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go dow r n to meet my 
lord the king. 

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei 
be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed ? 
And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, 
that ye should this day be adversaries unto me ? shall there any man 
be put to death this day in Israel ? for do not I know that I am this 
day king over Israel ? Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou 
shalt not die. And the king sware unto him. 

And David had many mighty men. And Abishai the brother of 
Joab was the chief among them. And when David fought against the 




308 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 309 

Philistines three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in 
the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam : and the troop of the Phil- 
istines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in an 
hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem. 
And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of 
the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate. And the 
three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew 
water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it 
and brought it to David : nevertheless he would not drink thereof, 
but poured it out unto the Lord. 

DAVID'S CHOICE. 

AND again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and 
he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and 
Judah. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from 
the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. So when 
they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the 
end of nine months and twenty days. And Joab gave up the sum of 
the number of people unto the king : and there were in Israel eight 
hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword ; and the men of 
Judah were five hundred thousand men. 

And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. 
And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have 
done : and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of 
thy servant ; for I have done very foolishly. For when David was 
up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, 
David's seer, saying, Go and say unto David, Thus said the Lord, I 
ofter thee three things; choose the one of them, that I may do it unto 
thee. 

So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall 
seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee 
three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee ? or that 
there be three days pestilence. in thy land ? now advise, and see what 
answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, 



310 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

I am in a great strait : let us fall now into the hand of the Lord ; for 
his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man. 

So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to 
the time appointed and there died of the people from Dan even to 
Beersheba seventy thousand men. And when the angel stretched out 
his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the 
evil, and, said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough : 
stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the 
threshing-place of Araunahthe Jebusite. And David spake unto the 
Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I 
have sinned, and I have done wickedly : but these sheep, what have 
they done ? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my 
father's house. 

And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear 
an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 
And David went up as the Lord commanded. So the Lord was 
intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. 

SOLOMON ANOINTED KING. 

SO when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his 
son king over Israel. And David assembled all the princes of 
Israel, with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem. Then David 
the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and 
my people : As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest 
for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our 
God, and had made ready for the building : but God said unto me, 
Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been 
a man of war, and hast shed blood. 

Howbeit the Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of 
my father to be king over Israel for ever : for he hath chosen Judah to 
be the ruler; and the house of Judah, the house of my father ; and 
among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all 
Israel : and of all my sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) 
he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the king- 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 311 

dom of the Lord over Israel. And he said unto me, Solomon thy 

son, he shall build my house and my courts : for I have chosen him 

to be my son, and I will he his father. Moreover I will establish his 

kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my 

judgments, as at this day. 

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and 

serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind : for the Lord 

searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the 

thoughts : if thou seek him, he will be found of thee ; but if thou 

forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the 

Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, 

and do it. 

The Pattern of the Temple. 

Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of all that he had 
by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the 
chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of 
the treasuries of the dedicated things. 

And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, 
and do it : fear not, nor be dismayed : for the Lord God, even my 
God, will be with thee ; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until 
thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the 
Lord. 

Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon 
my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and 
the work is great : for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God. 
Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the 
gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, 
and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood 
for things of wood ; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistening 
stones, and of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and 
marble stones in abundance. And who then is willing to consecrate 
his service this day unto the Lord ? 

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and 
the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers cf the king's 



312 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




troBj 




work, offered willingly. Then the people 
rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, 
because with perfect heart they offered 
willingly to the Lord : and David the king 
also rejoiced with great joy. 

And David said to all the congregation, 
Now bless the Lord your God. And all 
the congregation blessed the Lord God of 
their fathers, and bowed down their heads, 
and worshipped the Lord, and the king. 
And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the 
Lord, and offered burnt offerings unto 
the Lord, on the morrow after that day, 
even a thousand bullocks, a thousand 
rams, and a thousand lambs, with their 
drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance 
for all Israel : and did eat and drink before 
the Lord on that day with great gladness. 
And they made Solomon the son of David 
king the second time, and anointed him 
unto the Lord to be the chief governor, 
and Zadok to be priest. 

Then Solomon sat on the throne of the 
Lord as king instead of David his father, 
and prospered ; and all Israel obeyed him. 



Shepherd's CKOok^^and His 
and had ^been /aade king 

^OK g YEARNS 
DID^E REIGN 



V7iTTrt( 



r^JV 



then the other 
Tribes of Israel 
United with Judah 

AND /AADE DAVID 
jj^l NjQ OVER ALL. 




^ONiGEPo. 



^KoN g iN deed. 

So WERE THE 

Twelve Tribes 

Strong when 

united: 
And then 

Best of - all— 

g@@> WAS 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 313 

And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of 
king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king. And the 
Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and 
bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king 
before him in Israel. 

So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 
And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years ; seven 
years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in 
Jerusalem. Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father : 
and his kingdom was established greatly. 

SOLOMON'S JUDGMENT. 

AND Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David 
his father : only he sacrified and burnt incense in high places. 
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there ; for that was 
the great high place ; a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer 
upon that altar. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream 
by night : and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 

And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my 
father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in 
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee ; and thou hast 
kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit 
on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast 
made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a 
little child : I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant 
is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, 
that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore 
thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may 
discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so 
great a people. 

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this 
thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, 
and hast not asked for thyself long life ; neither hast asked riches for 
thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; but hast asked for 



314 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

thyself understanding to discern judgment ; behold, I have done 
according to thy words : lo, I have given thee a wise and an under- 
standing heart; so that there was none like thee before thee; neither 
after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee 
that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor : so that there 
shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if 
thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my command- 
ments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. 

And Solomon awoke ; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came 
to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, 
and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a 
feast to all his servants. 

The Judgment of Solomon. 

Then came there two women unto the king, and stood before him. 
And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one 
house ; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it 
came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman 
was delivered also : and we were together ; there was no stranger 
with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's 
child died in the night ; because she overlaid it. 

And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while 
thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child 
in my bosom. And when I arose in the morning to give my child 
suck ; behold, it was dead : but when I had considered it in the morn- 
ing, behold it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other 
woman said, Nay ; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. 
And this said, No ; but the dead is thy son, and the living my son. 
Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, 
This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead : and the other saith, 
Nay ; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the 
king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the 
king. 

And the king said, divide the living child in two, and give half to 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 315 

the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the 
living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son 
and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay 
it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but devide it. 
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child and in no 
wise slay it : she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the 
judgment which the king had judged ; and they feared the king : for 
they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. 

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the 
land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt : they brought 
presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Judah and 
Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, 
from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. 

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding 
much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand is on the sea shore, 
and Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the 
east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt, for he was wiser than all 
men, and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake 
three thousand proverbs : and his songs were a thousand and five. 
Aud he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even 
unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall : he spake also of 
beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there 
came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings 
of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom. 

THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. 

AND Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon ; for 
he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of 
his father : for Hiram was ever a lover of David. And Solomon 
sent to Hiram, saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could 
not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars 
which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under 
the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest 
on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurent 



316 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord 
my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, 
whom I willl set upon the throne in thy room, he shall build an house 
unto my name. Now therefore command thou that they hew me 
cedar trees out of Lebanon ; and my servants shall be with thy servants : 
and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that 
thou shalt appoint : for thou knowest that there is not among us any 
that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. 




CEDARS OF LEBANON. 

And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, 
that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, which 
hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. And 
Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which 
thou sentest to me for : and I will do all thy desire concerning timber 
of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them 
down from Lebanon unto the sea : and I will convey them by sea in 
floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them 
to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 317 

So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all 
his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of 
wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil : thus 
gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And king Solomon raised a 
levy out of all Israel ; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And 
he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses : a month 
they were in Lebanon, and two months at home : and Adoniram was 
over the levy. 

And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, 
and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains ; beside the chief of 
Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three 
hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. And 
the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, 
and hewed stones, to lay the foundations of the house. And Solomon's 
builders and Hiram's builders did hew them : so they prepared timber 
and stones to build the house. 

No Sound of Hammer or Ax. 

And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after 
the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the 
fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Zif, which 
is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. 
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready 
before it was brought thither : so that there was neither hammer nor 
ax nor any tool of iron was heard in the house, while it was in building. 

So he built the house, and finished it ; and covered the house with 
beams and boards of cedar. And the cedar of the house within was 
carved with knops and open flowers : all was cedar ; there was no 
stone seen. And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set 
there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And the whole house he 
overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house : also the whole 
altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold. 

And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each 
ten cubits high. And he set the cherubims within the inner house : 



318 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



I DWELL IN AN HOUSE: OF CEDAR 





and they stretched forth the wings of the 
cherubims, so that the wing of the one 
touched the one wall, and the wing of 
the other cherub touched the other 
wall ; and their wings touched one 
another in the midst of the house. And he 
overlaid the cherubims with gold. And he 
carved all the walls of the house round about 
with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees 
and open flowers within and without. And the 
floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within 
and without. 

And he built the inner court with three rows of 
hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams. In the 
fourth year was the foundation of the house of the 
Lord laid, in the month of Zif : and in the eleventh 
year, in the month of Bui, which is the eighth 
month, was the house finished through all the 
parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. 
So was he seven years in building it. 






TOM 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



319 



And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a 
widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, 
a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, 
and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king 
Solomon, and wrought all his work. For he cast two pillars of brass, 
of eighteen cubits high apiece : and a line of twelve cubits did com- 




THE MOLTEN SEA. 

pass cither of them about. And he set up the pillars in the porch of 
the temple. 

And he made a molten sea. It stood upon twelve oxen, three 
looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and 
three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east : 
and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were 
inward. And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was 



320 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies : it contained two 
thousand baths. And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and 
the basons. In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay 
ground between Succoth and Zarthan. 

And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were 
exceeding many : neither was the weight of the brass found out. 
And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of 
the Lord : the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the 
shewbread was. And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right 
side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the 
lamps, and the tongs of gold, and the bowls, and the snuffers, and 
the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold ; and the 
hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy 
place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple. So was 
ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the 
Lord. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father 
had dedicated ; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he 
put among the treasures of the house of the Lord. 

THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. 

THEN Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the 
heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children 
of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might 
bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, 
which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto 
king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh 
month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up 
the ark. And they brought up the ark of the Lord, and the taber- 
nacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the 
tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up. 

And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were 
assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep 
and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude. And 
the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY 



321 



place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even 
under the wings of the cherubims. For the cherubims spread forth 
their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered 
the ark and the staves thereof above. There was nothing in the ark 
save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when 
the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they 
came out of the land of Egypt. 

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy 




AN ANCIENT FEAST. 

place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord. So that the priests 
could not stand to minister because of the cloud : for the glory of the 
Lord had filled the house of the Lord. 

Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the 
thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a 
settled place for thee to abide in for ever. And the king turned his 
face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel : (and all the 
congregation of Israel stood); and he said, Blessed be the Lord God 
of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and 
21 



322 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, Since the day that I brought 
forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the 
tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein ; but 
I chose David to be over my people Israel. And it was in the heart 
of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God 
of Israel. 

And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was 
in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well 

that it was in thine heart. 
Nevertheless thou shalt 
not build the house; but 
thy son that shall come 
forth out of thy loins, 
he shall build the house 
unto my name. And 
the Lord hath performed 
his word that he spake, 
and I am risen up in 
the room of David my 
father, and sit on the 
throne of Israel, as the 
Lord promised, and 
have built an house for 
the name of the Lord 
God of Israel. And I 
have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the 
Lord, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of 
the land of Egypt. 

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of 
all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward 
heaven : and he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in 
heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy 
with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: who hast 
kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: 




SACRIFICE AT THE DEDICATION. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



323 



thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine 
hand, as it is this day. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? 
behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee : 




FIRE FROM HEAVEN AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. 

how much less i-fiis house that I have builded ? Yet have thou 
respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, 
O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, 



324 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day : that thine eyes 
may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the 
place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there : that thou 
mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make 
toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy 
servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward 
this place : and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place : and when 
thou hearest, forgive. 

Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and 
the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with 
salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, turn 
not away the face of thine anointed : remember the mercies of David 
thy servant. 

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came 
down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; 
and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could 
not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord 
had filled the Lord's house. And when all the children of Israel saw 
how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, 
they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pave- 
ment, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good ; 
for his mercy endureth for ever. 

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 
And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand 
oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep : so the king and all 
the people dedicated the house of God. 

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA. 

AND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon 
concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with 
hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great 
train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious 
stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with 
him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



!25 



questions : there was not anything hid from the king, which 
told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen 
Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and 
meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and 
attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his 
cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto 
the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit 
in her. 

And she said to the king, It was a true report 
that I heard in mine own land of thy acts 
and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not 
the words, until I came, and mine eyes had 
seen it : and, behold, the half was not 
told me; thy wisdom and prosperity 
exceedeth the fame which I heard. 
Happy are thy men, happy are these 
thy servants, which stand continually 
before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 

Blessed be the Lord thy 

God, which delighted in 



he 

all 

the 

the 





326 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved 
Israel for ever, therefore made he the king, to do judgment and 
justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of 
gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came 
no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba 
gave to king Solomon. 

And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, 
whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his 
royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and 
her servants. 

SOLOMON'S RICHES. 

NOW the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 
six hundred threescore and six talents of gold ($33,300,000), 
beside that he had of the merchantmen, and the spice mer- 
chants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the 
country. And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten 
gold : six hundred shekels of gold ($3,000) to one target. And he 
made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pound of gold went 
to one shield : and the king put them in the house of the forest of 
Lebanon. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and 
overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps, and the top 
of the throne was round behind : and there were stays on either side 
on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. 

And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon 
the six steps : there was not the like made in any kingdom. And all 
king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of 
the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold ; none were of 
silver : it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the 
king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram : once in 
three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, 
ivory, and apes, and peacocks. So king Solomon exceeded all the 
kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 

And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 327 

God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, 
vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and 
spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. And Solomon 
gathered together chariots and horsemen : and he had a thousand and 
four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he 
bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. 
And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars 
made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abun- 
dance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen 
yarn : the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. 

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the 
daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, 
Zidonians, and Hittites ; for it came to pass, when Solomon was old, 
that his wives turned away his heart after other gods : and his heart 
was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his 
father. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not 
fully after the Lord, as did David his father. 

Solomon's Kingdom to be Rent from Him. 

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was 
turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him 
twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should 
not go after other gods : but he kept not that which the Lord com- 
manded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this 
is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, 
which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from 
thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days 
I will not do it for David thy father's sake : but I will rend it out of 
the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom ; 
but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for 
Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. 

And the Lord stirred up adversaries against Solomon. And 
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's 
servant, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And the man 



328 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor : and Solomon seeing the 
young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the 
charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time 
when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the 
Shilonite found him in the way; and he clad himself with a new 
garment ; and they two were alone in the field : and Ahijah caught 
the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces : and 
he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces : for thus saith the Lord, 
the God of Israel, Behold I will rend the kingdom out of the hand 
of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee : howbeit I will not take 
the whole kingdom out of his hand : but I will make him prince all 
the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, 
because he kept my commandments and my statutes : but I will take 
the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee. 

And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may 
have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have 
chosen me to put my name there. And I will take thee, and thou 
shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king 
over Israel. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that 
I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in 
my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my 
servant did ; that I will be with thee, and will give Israel unto thee. 

Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, 
and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak, king of Egypt, and was in Egypt 
until the death of Solomon. And the time that Solomon reigned in 
Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with 
his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father : and Reho- 
boam his son reigned in his stead. 

THE REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES. 

AND Rehoboam went to Shechem : for all Israel were come to 
Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when 
Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of 
it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 329 

dwelt in Egypt;) that they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and 
all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, 
saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous : now therefore make 
thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he 
put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto 
them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the 
people departed. 

And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before 
Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise I 
may answer this people ? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou 
wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and 
answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy 
servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which 
they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were 
grown up with him, and which stood before him : and he said unto 
them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people who 
have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put 
upon us lighter ? 

"I Will Chastise You with Scorpions." 

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, 
saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, 
saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter 
unto us ; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be 
thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father did lade 
you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke : my father hath 
chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day 
as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 
And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old 
men's counsel that they gave him ; and spake to them after the 
counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, 
and I will add to your yoke : my father also chastised you with 
whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. Wherefore the king 



330 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



hearkened not unto the people ; for the cause was from the Lord, that 
he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the 
Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 

So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the 
people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David ? 
neither have inheritance in the son of Jesse : to your tents, O Israel : 
now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their 
tents. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of 
Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then king Rehoboam sent 




JERUSALEM AND ITS VALLEYS FROM THE SOUTH. 

Adoram, who was over the tribute ; and all Israel stoned him with 
stones, that he died. 

Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his 
chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of 
David unto this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that 
Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the 
congregation, and made him king over all Israel : there was none that 
followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 331 

the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and four- 
score thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the 
house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of 
Solomon. But the word of God came unto Shemiah the man of 
God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of 
Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the 
remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go 
up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return 
every man to his house ; for this thing is from me. They hearkened 
therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according 
to the word of the Lord. 

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt 
therein ; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. And Jero- 
boam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house 
of David ; if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord 
at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their 
lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and 
go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, 
and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem : 
behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of Egypt. And 
he set the one in Beth-el, and the other put he in Dan. And this 
thing became a sin ; for the people went to worship before the one, 
even unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made 
priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 
And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years : and 
he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead. 

THREE KINGS OF JUDAH. 

AND Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Reho- 
boam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and 
he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the 
Lord did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. 
And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him 



332 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that 
their fathers had done. 

And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak 
king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem : and he took away the 
treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's 
house; he even took away all; and he took away all the shields of 
gold which Solomon had made. And there was war between Reho- 
boam and Jeroboam all their days. And Rehoboam slept with his 
fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And 
Abijam his son reigned in his stead. 

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat 
reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. 
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before 
him : and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the 
heart of David his father. Nevertheless for David's sake did the Lord 
his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and 
to establish Jerusalem : because David did that which was right in 
the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he 
commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of 
Uriah the Hittite. And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried 
him in the city of David : and Asa his son reigned in his stead. 

And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa 
over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And 
Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David 
his father. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his 
fathers in the city of David : Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead. 

THE WICKED KINGS OF ISRAEL. 

AND Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the 
second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two 
years. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in 
the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. 
And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired 
against him and smote him, and reigned in his stead. And it came to 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 333 

pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam ; he 
left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, 
according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant 
Ahijah the Shilonite. 

In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of 
Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years. And 
he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of 
Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. Then the 
word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, 
saying, Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee 
prince over my people Israel ; and thou hast walked in the way of 
Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to 
anger with their sins ; behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, 
and the posterity of his house ; and will make thy house like the house 
of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. So Baasha slept with his fathers, and 
was buried in Tirzah : and Elah his son reigned in his stead. 

The Conspiracy of Zimri. 

In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the 
son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. And his 
servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he 
was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of 
his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in, and smote him, and killed 
him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned 
in his stead. And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as 
he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha. 

In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri 
reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against 
Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. And the people that 
were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain 
the king : wherefore alt Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king 
over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went up from Gibbethon, 
and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. And it came to 
pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the 



334 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with 
fire, and died. 

Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts : half of the 
people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king ; and half 
followed Omri. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against 
the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath : so Tibni died, and 
Omri reigned. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and 
did worse than all that were before him. So Omri slept with his 
fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his 
stead. 

And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab 
the son of Omri to reign over Israel : and Ahab the son of Omri 
reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. And Ahab the 
son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were 
before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for 
him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to 
wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went 
and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for 
Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab 
made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel 
to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. 

ELIJAH. 

AND Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said 
unto Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I 
, stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according 

to my word. And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 
Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the 
brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou 
shalt drink of the brook ; and I have commanded the ravens to 
feed thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the 
Lord : for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before 
Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, 
and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And 




335 



336 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




®i (1 




it, came to pass after 
a while, that the 
brook dried up, 
because there had 
been no rain in the 
land. 

And the word of 
the Lord came 
unto him, saying, 
Arise, get thee to 
Zarephath, which 
belongeth to Zidon 
and dwell there : 
behold, I have commanded a widow 
woman there to sustain thee. So he 
arose and went to Zarephath. And 
when he came to the gate of the city, 
behold, the widow woman was there 
gathering of sticks: and he called to 
her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a 
little water in a vessel, that I may drink. 
And as she was 
going to fetch it, 
he called to her, 
and said, Bring 
me, I pray thee, a 
morsel of bread in 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



337 



thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not 
a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse 
and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it 
for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said 
unto her, Fear not: go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof 
a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and 
for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of 
meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day 




THE WIDOW S SON RESTORED TO LIFE. 

that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did 
according to the saying of Elijah : and she, and he, and her house, did 
eat many days. 

And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, 
according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. And 
it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the 
mistress of the house, fell sick ; and his sickness was so sore, that 
there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What 
22 



338 THF OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

have I to do with thee, O thou man of God ? art thou come unto me 
to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son ? And he said 
unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and 
carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid -him upon his own 
bed. 

And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou 
also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying 
her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and 
cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this 
child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of 
Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived. 
And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber 
into the house, and delivered him unto his mother : and Elijah said, 
See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I 
know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in 
thy mouth is truth. 

ELIJAH AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL. 

AND it came to pass after many days, that the word of the Lord 
came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto 
Ahab ; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went 
to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Simaria. 
And Ahab called Obadiah which was the governor of his house. 
Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly : for it was so, when Jezebel 
cut off the prophets of the Lord that Obadiah took an hundred 
prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread 
and water. 

And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the land, unto all the 
fountains of water, and unto all brooks : peradventure we may find 
grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the 
beasts. So they divided the land between them to pass through it : 
Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by 
himself. . 

And as Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him : and he 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 339 

knew him, and fell on his face, and said, Art thou that my lord Elijah ? 
And he answered him, I am : go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. 
And he said, What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy 
servant into the hand of Ahab, to slay me? As the Lord thy God 
liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent 
to seek thee : and when they said, He is not there ; he took an oath 
of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. And now thou 
sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here. 

Escaped by Hiding in a Cave. 

Ana it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the 
spirit of the Lord shall carry thee whither I know not ; and so when 
I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me : but 
I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth. Was it not told my lord 
what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, how I hid an 
hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them 
with bread and water ? And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, 
Behold, Elijah is here and he shall slay me. And Elijah said, As the 
Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surily show myself 
unto him to day. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him : and 
Ahab went to meet Elijah. 

And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto 
him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel ? And he answered, I have 
not troubled Israel ; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have 
forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed 
Baalam. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount 
Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the 
prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. So 
Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets 
together unto mount Carmel. 

And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye 
between two opinions ? if the Lord be God, follow him : but if Baal, 
then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then 
said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the 



340 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them 
therefore give us two bullocks ; and let them choose one bullock for 
themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire 
under : and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and 
put no fire under : and call ye on the name of your gods, and I will 
call on the name of the Lord : and the God that answereth by fire, let 
him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 
And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock 
for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the 
name of your gods, but put no fire under. 

Cut Themselves till the Blood Gushed Out. 

And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed 
it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, 
saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that 
answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. And it 
came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud : 
for he is a god ; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a 
journey, ar peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they 
cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and 
lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, 
when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the 
offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any 
to answer, nor any that regarded. 

And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And 
all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of 
the Lord that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, 
according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto 
whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name : 
and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord : and 
he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two 
measures of seed. 

And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and 
laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 341 

it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the 
second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it 
the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran 
round about the altar ; and he filled the trench also with water. 

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening 
sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of 
Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou 
art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done 
all these things at thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this 
people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast 
turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and 
consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the 
dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 

The Prophets of Baal are Slain. 

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces : and they 
said, The Lord, he is the God ; the Lord, he is the God. And Elijah 
said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal ; let not one of them 
escape. And they took them : and Elijah brought them down to the 
brook Kishon, and slew them there. 

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink ; for 
there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat 
and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel : and he 
cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his 
knees, and said to his servants, Go up now, look toward the sea. 
And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he 
said, Go again seven times. And at the seventh time, he said, Behold, 
there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. 

And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get 
thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the 
mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there 
was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the 
hand of the Lord was on Elijah ; and he girded up his loins, and ran 
before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. 



342 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

THE STILL SMALL VOICE. 

AND Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how 
he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel 
sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, 
and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by 
to-morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and 
went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, 
and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into 
the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he 
requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; 
now, O Lord, take away my life ; for I am not better than my fathers. 

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel 
touched 1 .Am, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, 
and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a oruse of 
water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down 
again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and 
touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great 
for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the 
strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the 
mount of God. 

And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there ; and, behold, 
the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest 
thou here, Elijah ? And he said, I have been very jealous for the 
Lord God of hosts : for the children of Israel have forsaken thy cove- 
nant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword ; 
and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. 

And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent 
the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the 
Lord was not in the wind : and after the wind an earthquake ; but the 
Lord was not in the earthquake : and after the earthquake a fire ; but 
the Lord was not in the fire : and after the fire a still small voice. And 
it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, 




343 



344 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, 
there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah ? 
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts ; 
because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown 
down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword ; and I, even I 
only, am left ; and they seek my life, to take it away. 

And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilder- 
ness of Damascus : and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king 
over Syria : and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king 
over Israel ; and Elisha the son . of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt 
thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, 
that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him 
that escapeth the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left 
me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto 
Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 

Samaria Besieged by the King of Syria. 

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who 
was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the 
twelfth : and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 
And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray 
thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. 
And he said unto him, Go back again : for what have I done to 
thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, 
and slew them, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then 
he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. 

And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together : 
and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and 
chariots : and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against 
it. And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, 
and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, Thy silver and thy gold is 
mine ; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 
And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, accord- 
ing to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 




345 



346 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben- 
hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt 
deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children ; 
yet I will send my servants unto thee to-morrow about this time, and 
they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants ; and it 
shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in 
their hand, and take it away. 

Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, 
Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he 
sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, 
and for my gold ; and I denied him not. And all the elders and all 
the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. 

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, 
saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude ? 
behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know 
that I am the Lord. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus 
saith the Lord, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. 
Then he said, Who shall order the battle ? And he answered, Thou. 

Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, 
and they were two hundred and thirty-two : and after them he 
numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven 
thousand. So these young men of the princes of the provinces came 
out of the city, and the army which followed them. And they slew 
every one his man : and the Syrians fled ; and Israel pursued them : 
and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horse- 
men. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and 
chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. 

NABOTH'S VINEYARD. 

AND it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite 
had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of 
Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, 
saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of 
herbs, because it is near unto my house : and I will give thee for it a 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



T>47 




WTS 
NABOTH'S VINEYARD, 



*t 



^PiasT 



BAD S 

INTENTIONS*^ 



better vineyard than it : or, if it seem 
good to thee, I will give thee the 
worth of it in money. And Naboth 
said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, 
that I should give the inheritance of my fathers 
unto thee. And Ahab came into his house 
heavy and displeased because of the word which 
Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him : for he 
had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of 
my fathers. And he laid him down upon his 
bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no 
bread. 

But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said 
unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad 
that thou eatest no bread? And he 
said unto her, Because I spake unto 
Naboth the Jezreelite, and 



i||| 



WICKED ACTS. 



| V said unto him, Give me thy 
£ER4!ijM vineyard for money; or else, 




if it please thee, I 
will give thee 
another vineyard 
for it : and he ans- 
wered, I will not 
give thee my vine- 
yard. And Jezebel 



348 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? 
arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry; I will give thee the 
vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. 

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, 
and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were in his 
city, dwelling with Naboth, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth 
on high among the people : and set two men, sons of Belial, before 
him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God 
and the king. And then stone him, that he may die. 

And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were 
the inhabitants in his city, did as it was written in the letters which she 
had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high 
among the people. 

Naboth is Stoned to Death. 

And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him : 
and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in 
the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the 
king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him 
with stones that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth 
is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that 
Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, 
take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he 
refused to give thee for money. And it came to pass, when Ahab 
heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the 
vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. 

And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying > 
Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: 
behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to 
possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the 
Lord, Hast thou killed and also taken possession ? Thus saith the 
Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs 
lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou 
found me, mine enemy ? 




348 



350 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself 
to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon 
thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will make thine house like 
the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like, the house of Baasha 
the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked 
me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the 
Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him 
that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat ; and him that dieth 
in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 

And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent 
his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in 
sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the Lord came to 
Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself 
before me ? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring 
the evil in his days ; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon 
his house. 

JEHOSHAPHAT, KING OF JUDAH. 

AND they continued three years without war between Syria and 
Israel. And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehosha- 
phat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. And 
the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in 
Gilead is our's, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the 
king of Syria ? And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me 
to battle to Ramoth-gilead ? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of 
Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy 
horses. 

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, 
and enter into the battle ; but put thou on thy robes. And the king 
of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. But the king of 
Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his 
chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the 
king of Israel. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots 
saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 351 

And they turned aside to fight against him : and Jehoshaphat cried 
out. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived 
that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing 
him. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the 
king of Israel between the joints of the harness : wherefore he said 
unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of 
the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: 
and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died 
at even : and the blood ran out of the wound into the chariot. 

And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going 
down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his 
own country. So the king died and was brought to Samaria; and 
they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the 
pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; according unto 
the word of the Lord which he spake. So Ahab slept with his 
fathers : and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. 

Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the 
fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty and five 
years old when he began to reign ; and he reigned twenty and five 
years in Jerusalem. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; 
he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of 
the Lord. And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried 
with his fathers in the city of David; and Jehoram his son reigned in 
his stead. 

AHAZIAH, KING OF ISRAEL. 

AHAZIAH the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria 
the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned 
two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the 
Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his 
mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made 
Israel to sin: for he served Baal, -and worshipped him, and provoked 
to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father 
had done. 



352 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of king Ahab. 
And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that 
was in Samaria, and was sick : and he sent messengers, and said unto 
them, Go enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall 
recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the 
Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, 
and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that 
ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron ? Now therefore 
thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on 
which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. 
So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had 
spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead. 

THE MANTLE OF ELIJAH. 

AND it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into 
heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from 
Gilgal. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and 
stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah 
took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and 
they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on 
dry ground. 

And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said 
unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away 
from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy 
spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing : 
nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so 
unto thee ; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they 
still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, 
and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder ; and Elijah went up 
by a whirlwind into heaven. 

And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot 
of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more : and 
he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He 
took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



353 



and stood by the bank of Jordan ; and he took the mantle of 
Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where 
is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the 
waters, they parted hither and thither : and Elisha went over. 
And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at 
Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on 
Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves 
to the ground before him. 

And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy 
servants fifty strong men ; let them go, we pray thee, and seek 
thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken 

him up, and cast him upon 

some mountain, or into some 

valley. And he said, Ye 

shall not send, and when 

they urged him till he was 

ashamed, he said, Send. 

They sent therefore fifty 

men; and they sought three 

days but found him not. 

And when they came again 

to him, (for he tarried at 










I//:? 



#:'-< 






/ 



> 1 1 \ \ 




%|gMi 




23 



354 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not? 
And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the 
situation of the city is pleasant, as my lord seeth : but the water is 
naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, 
and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went 
forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and 
said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters ; there shall not 
be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were 
healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. 
And he went up from thence unto Beth-el : and as he was going 
up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and 
mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head ; go up, thou 
bald head. And he turned backhand looked on them, and cursed 
them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears 
out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he 
went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to 
Samaria. 

WAR WITH THE MOABITES. 

NOW Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in 
Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, 
and reigned twelve years. And he wrought evil in the sight of 
the Lord ; but not like his father and like his mother : for he put 
away the image of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he 
cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made 
Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. And Mesha king of 
Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an 
hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the 
wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of 
Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 

And king Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time, and 
numbered all Israel. And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the 
king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me : 
wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle ? And he said, I will 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 355 

go up : I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as 
thy horses. And he said, Which way shall we go up? And he 
answered, The way through the wilderness of Edom : So the king of 
Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom : and 
they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no 
water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. 

And the king of Israel said, Alas ! that the Lord hath called these 
three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab ! But 
Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we 
may enquire of the Lord by him ? And one of the king of Israel's 
servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which 
poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word 
of the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and 
the king of Edom went down to him. And Elisha said unto the king 
of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of 
thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel 
said unto him, Nay : for the Lord hath called these three kings 
together, to deliver them into the hands of Moab. 

Elisha and the Minstrel. 

And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, 
surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king 
of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now 
bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, 
that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, Thus saith 
the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, 
Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain ; yet that valley shall 
be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and 
your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord : 
he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. And ye shall smite 
every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, 
and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with 
stones. And in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, 
behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled. 



356 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And when all the Moabites heard that the kings were come up to 
fight against them, they gathered all that were able to put on armor, 
and upward, and stood in the border. And they rose up early in the 
morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the 
water on the other side as red as blood: and they said, This is blood: 
the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now 
therefore, Moab, to the spoil. 

And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up 
and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them : but they went 
forward smiting the Moabites even in their country. And they beat 
down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his 
stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled 
all the good trees; only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; 
howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it. 

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for 
him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break 
through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he 
took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered 
him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indigna- 
tion against Israel : and they departed from him, and returned to their 
own land. 

THE WIDOW'S OIL: THE SHUNAMMITE. 

NOW there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of 
the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is 
dead ; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord : 
and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee ? tell me, what 
hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any- 
thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee 
vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels ; borrow not a 
few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee 
and upon thy sons, and shall pour out into all those vessels, and thou 
shalt set aside that which is full. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



.)/ 



So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her 
sons, who brought the vessels to her ; and she poured out. And it 
came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, 
Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel 
more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. 
And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy 
children of the rest. 

And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a 
great woman ; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was 
that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And 
she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy 
man of God which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little 
chamber, I pray thee, on the wall ; and let us set for him there a bed, 
and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick : and it shall be, when he 
cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. 

A Son Born to the Shunammite. 

And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the 
chamber, and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this 
Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 
And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold thou hast been 
careful for us with all this care ; what is to be done for thee ? 
wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? 
And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. And he said, 
What then is to be done for her ? And Gehazi answered, Verily she 
hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. 

And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, 
About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a 
son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto 
thine handmaid. And the woman bare a son at that season that Elisha 
said unto her. 

And when the child was grown up, it fell on a day, that he went 
out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, 
my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And 



358 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 




when he had taken him, and brought 
him to his mother, he sat on her knees 
till noon, and then died. And she went 
up, and laid him on the bed of the man 
of God, and shut the door upon him, 
and went out. And she called unto her 
husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, 
one of the young men, and one of the 
asses, that I may run to the man of God, 
and come again. 

And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go 
to him to-day? it is neither new moon, 
nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be 
well. Then she saddled an ass, and said 
to her servant, Drive, and go forward ; 
slack not thy riding for me, except I bid 
thee. So she went and came unto the 
man of God to mount Carmel. And it 
came to pass, when the man of God saw 
her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his 
servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunam- 
mite: run now, I pray thee, to meet her, 




^s">^S£moTH£fl 




fXKif* AHD7H 0W> CHILD, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 359 

and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is 
it well with the child ? And she answered, It is well. 

And when she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught him 
by the feet : but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man 
of God said, Let her alone ; for her soul is vexed within her : and the 
Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me. Then she said, Did 
I desire a son of my lord? did I not say, Do not deceive me? 

Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in 
thine hand, and go thy way : if thou meet any man, salute him not ; 
and if any salute thee, answer him not again : and lay my staff upon 
the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As the Lord 
liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and 
followed her. And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff 
upon the face of the child ; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. 
Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child 
is not awaked. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, 
the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. 

He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and 
prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and 
put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his 
hands upon his hands : and he stretched himself upon the child ; and 
the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in 
the house to and fro ; and went up and stretched himself upon him ; 
and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 
And he called unto Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he 
called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up 
thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to 
the ground, and took up her son, and went out. 

NAAMAN HEALED : THE IRON SWIMS. 

NOW Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a 
great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the 
Lord had given deliverance unto Syria : he was also a mighty 
man in valor, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by 



360 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a 
little maid ; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto 
her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in 
Samaria ! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, 
and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the 
land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send 
a letter unto the king of Israel. 

And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six 
thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought 
the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come 
unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, 
that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, 
when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, 
and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth 
send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy ? wherefore consider, I 
pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 

Must Wash in Jordan Seven Times. 

And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king- 
of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Where- 
fore hast thou rent thy clothes ? let him come now to me, and he 
shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with 
his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of 
Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash 
in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and 
thou shalt be clean. 

But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I 
thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the 
name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and 
recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, 
better than all the waters of Israel ? may I not wash in them, and be 
clean ? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants 
came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet 
had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 361 

how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean ? 
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, 
according to the saying of the man of God : and his flesh came again 
like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 

And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and 
came, and stood before him : and he said, Behold, now I know that 
there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel : now therefore, I pray 
thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As the Lord liveth, 
before whom I stand I will receive none. And he urged him to take 
it ; but he refused. 

And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy 
servant two mules' burden of earth ? for thy servant will henceforth 
offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the 
Lord. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my 
master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he 
leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the 
Lord pardon thy servant in this thing. And he said unto him, Go in 
peace. So he departed from him a little way. 

Silver for the Sons of the Prophets. 

But Gahazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my 
master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands 
that which he brought : but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, 
and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And 
when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the 
chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well ? And he said, All is well. 
My Master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to 
me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets : 
give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. 
And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, 
and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of gar- 
ments, and laid them upon two of his servants ; and they bare them 
before them. 

And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and 




362 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 363 

bestowed them in the house : and he let the men go, and they departed. 
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto 
him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi ? And he said, Thy servant went 
no whither. And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, 
when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it 
a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and 
vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants ? 
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy 
seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as 
snow. 

And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the 
place where we dwell with thee is too straight for us. Let us go, we 
pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us 
make a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. 
And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And 
he answered, I will go. 

So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut 
down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the ax head fell into the 
water; and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. 
And the man of God said, Where fell it ? And he shewed him the 
place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither ; and the iron 
did swim. Therefore said he, take it up to thee. And he put out his 
hand and took it. 

BENHADAD MAKES WAR ON ISRAEL. 

THEN the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel 
with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my 
camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, 
saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place ; for thither the 
Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place 
which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved 
himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of 
Syria was sore troubled for this thing ; and he called his servants, 
and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king 



364 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

of Israel ? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king : 
but Elisha the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the 
words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 

And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch 
him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. There- 
fore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host : and they 
came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant 
of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host 
compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant 
said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered. 
Fear not : for they that be with us are more than they that be with 
them. 

The Young Man's Eyes Opened. 

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that 
he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man ; and 
he saw : and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of 
fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha 
prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with 
blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word 
of Elisha. 

And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the 
city ; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But 
he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come 
into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that 
they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw ; and, 
behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 

And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My 
father, shall I smite them ? shall I smite them ? And he answered, 
Thou shalt not smite them : wouldest thou smite those whom thou 
hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow ? set bread and 
water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their 
master. And he prepared great provision for them : and when they 
had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their 
master. 




A CITY CAPTURED AND THE INHABITANTS LED AWAY CAPTIVE. 

365 



366 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered 
all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. And there was a 
great famine in Samaria : and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's 
head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a 
cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. 

Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord : Thus saith the 
Lord, To-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold 
for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of 
Samaria. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the 
man of God, and said, Behold if the Lord would make windows in 
heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it 
with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 

The Leprous Men at the Gate. 

And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate : 
and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die ? If we 
say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we 
shall die there : and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore 
come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians ; if they save us 
alive, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die. And they 
rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians : and when 
they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, 
there was no man there. For the Lord had made the host of the 
Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the 
noise of a great host : and they said one to another, Lo, the king of 
Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of 
the Egytians, to come upon us. 

Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, 
and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for 
their life. And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the 
camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried 
thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came 
again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went 
and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well ; this day 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STOR^. 367 

is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace : if we tarry till the 
morning light, some mischief will come upon us : now therefore come, 
that we may go and tell the king's household. 

So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told 
them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there 
was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses 
tied, and the tents as they were. And he called the porters; and they 
told it to the king's house within. 

And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will 
now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that 
we be hungry ; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide 
themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we 
shall catch them alive, and get into the city. And one of his servants 
answered, and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that 
remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude 
of Israel that are left in it : behold, I say, they are even as all the 
multitude of the Israelites that are consumed :) and let us send and see. 

Following the Host of the Syrians. 

They took therefore two chariot horses ; and the king sent after the 
host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. And they went after them 
unto Jordan : and lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, 
which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers 
returned, and told the king. And the people went out, and spoiled 
the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for 
a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the 
word of the Lord. And the king appointed the lord on whose hand 
he leaned to have the charge of the gate : and the people trode upon 
him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake 
when the king came down to him. 

And Elisha came to Damascus ; and Ben-haded the king of Syria 
was sick : and it was told him saying, the man of God is come hither. 
And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in thine hand, and go, 
meet the man of God, and enquire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I 



368 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

recover of this disease ? So Hazael went to meet him, and took a 
present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' 
burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad 
king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this 
disease? And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest 
certainly recover : howbeit the Lord hath showed me that he shall 
surely die. 

And he settled his countenance stedfastly, until he was ashamed : 
and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord ? 
And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the 
children of Israel : their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their 
young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children. 
And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do 
this great thing ? And Elisha answered, The Lord hath showed me 
that thou shalt be king over Syria. So he departed from Elisha, and 
came to his master ; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee ? 
And he answered, He told me that thou shouldest surely recover. 
And it came to pass on the morrow, that he took a thick cloth, and 
dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died : and 
Hazael reigned in his stead. 

JOASH, KING OF JUDAH. 

WHEN Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was 
dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. But Jeho- 
sheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took 
Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons 
which were slain ; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the 
bed-chamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. And he was 
with her hid in the house of the Lord six years. And Athaliah did 
reign over the land. 

And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over 
hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him 
into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took 
an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king's 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 369 

son. And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things 
that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and to the captains over hundreds 
did the priest give king David's spears and shields, that were in the 
temple of the Lord. 

And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, 
round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left 
corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple. And he 
brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave 
him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and 
they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king. 

The Fate of Athaliah. 

And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the 
people, she came to the people into the temple of the Lord. And 
when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner 
was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the 
people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets : and Athaliah 
rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. But Jehoiada the 
priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the 
hosts, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges : and 
him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, 
Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord. And they laid hands 
on her ; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into 
the king's house ; and there was she slain. 

And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king 
and the people, that they should be the Lord's people ; between the 
king also and the people. And all the people of the land went into 
the house of Baal, and brake it down ; his altars and his images 
brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal 
before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house 
of the Lord. And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the cap- 
tains, and the guard, and all the people of the land: and they 
brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and came by the 
way of the gate of the guard to the king's house, 
21 



370 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And he sat on the throne of the kings. And all the people of the 
land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet. Seven years old was Jehoash 
or Joash when he began to reign. In the seventh year of Jehu 
Jehoash began to reign ; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem, and 
did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein 
Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 

But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died ; an 
hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. And they 
buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had 
done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. Now 
after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made 
obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And 
they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served 
groves and idols : and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for 
this their trespass. 

The Enemies of Zechariah. 

And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada 
the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus 
saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that 
ye cannot prosper ? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also 
forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with 
stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of 
the Lord. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which 
Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he 
died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it. 

And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria 
came up against him : and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and 
destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and 
sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. For the army 
of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord 
delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had for- 
saken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment 
against Joash, And when they were departed from him, (for they 




371 



372 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

left him in great diseases), his own servants conspired against him for 
the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, 
and he died : and they buried him in the city of. David, but they 
buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings. And Amaziah his son 
reigned in his stead. 

DEATH OF ELISHA. 

IN the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king 
of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel 
in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years. And he did that which 
was evil in the sight of the Lord. And the anger of the Lord was 
kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of Hazael, 
king of Syria, and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael, all 
their days. And Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and the Lord heark- 
ened unto him : for he saw the oppression of Israel, because the king 
of Syria oppressed them. And the Lord gave Israel a saviour, so that 
they went out from under the hand of the Syrians : and the children 
of Israel dwelt in their tents, as beforetime. 

Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jero- 
boam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein : and there remained 
the grove also in Samaria. Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoa- 
haz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen ; for 
the king of Syria had destroyed them : and had made them like the 
dust by threshing. And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers ; and they 
buried him in Samaria : and Joash his son reigned in his stead. 

Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And 
Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, 
and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horse- 
men thereof. And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And 
he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, 
Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it : and 
Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, Open the 
window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. 
And he shot. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. S73 

And he said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of 
deliverance from Syria : for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till 
thou have consumed them. And he said, Take the arrows. And he 
took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the 
ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was 
wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six 
times ; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it ; 
whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. 

And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the 
Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came 
to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band 
of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and when 
the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, 
and stood up on his feet. 

ISRAEL CARRIED AWAY CAPTIVE. 

IN the second year of Joash king of Israel reigned Amaziah king of 
Judah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. 
And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in 
his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. 
But the children of the murderers he slew not : according unto that 
which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord 
commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the 
children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers ; but every 
man shall be put to death for his own sin. Now they made a 
conspiracy against him in Jerusalem : and he fled to Lachish ; but 
they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. And they brought 
him on horses : and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the 
city of David. 

And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years 
old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. And Azariah, 
who was also called Uzziah, reigned over Judah fifty and two years, 
and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. But the 
kings of Israel were evil kings : Jeroboam and Zachariah his son, and 



§74 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Shallum and Menahem and Pekahiah. In the fifty-second year of 
Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah conspired against 
Pekahiah, and killed him, and reigned in his steady And he did that 
which was evil in the sight of the Lord. In the days of Pekah came 

Tiglath-pileser king of As- 
syria, and took all the land 
of Naphtali, and carried them 
captive to Assyria. And 
Hoshea the son of Elah made 
a conspiracy against Pekah 
the son of Remaliah, and 
smote him, and slew him, and 
reigned in his stead. And he 
did that which was evil in the 
sight of the Lord. 

Against him came up Shal- 
maneser king of Assyria; and 
Hoshea became his servant, 
and gave him presents. And 
the king of Assyria found con- 
spiracy in Hoshea : for he had 
sent messengers to So king of 
Egypt, and brought no pres- 
ent to the king of Assyria, as 
he had done year by year : 
therefore the king of Assyria 
shut him up, and bound him 
in prison. Then the king of 
Assyria came up throughout 
an Assyrian king. a ll the land, and went up to 

Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea 
the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, 
and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in 
the cities of the Medes. For so it was, that the children of Israel had 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 875 

sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of 
the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, 
and had feared other gods. 

Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the 
prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, 
and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law 
which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my 
servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but 
hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not 
believe in the Lord their God. 

And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God and 
made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and 
worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused 
their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used 
divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the 
sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the Lord was 
very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight : there was 
none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the 
commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of 
Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, 
and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until 
he had cast them out of his sight: as he had said by all his servants 
the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to 
Assyria unto this day. 

SENNACHERIB INVADES THE LAND. 

VTOW it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah 
J^y king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah 
began to reign. And he did that which was right in the sight 
of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed 
the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and 
brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made : for unto 
those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it : and he called 
it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel ; so that after 



376 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that 
were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from 
following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord com- 
manded Moses. And the Lord was with him; and he prospered 
whithersoever he went forth : and he rebelled against the king of 
Assyria, and served him not. 

And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he 
was purposed to fight against Jerusalem, he took counsel with his 
princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which 
were without the city : and they did help him. So there was gathered 
much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook 
that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings 
of Assyria come, and find much water? Also he strengthened himself, 
and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the 
towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of 
David, and made darts and shields in abundance. 

The People Encouraged to be Courageous. 

And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them 
together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake 
comfortably to them, saying, Be strong and courageous, be not afraid 
nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is 
with him : for there be more with us than with him : with him is an 
arm of flesh ; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight 
our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of 
Hezekiah king of Judah. 

After this did Sennacherib king of Assyria send his servants to 
Jerusalem, unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah that 
were at Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria, 
Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem ? Doth 
not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine 
and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the 
hand of the king of Assyria ? Know ye not what I and my fathers 
have done unto all the people of other lands ? were the gods of the 




377 



378 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

nations of those lands any ways able to deliver their lands out of 
mine hand? Who was there among all the gods of those nations that 
could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be 
able to deliver you out of mine hand ? 

Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you, nor persuade you on 
this manner, neither yet believe him: for no god of any nation or 
kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand, and out of 
the hand of my fathers : how much less shall your God deliver you 
out of mine hand? And his servants spake yet more against the 
Lord God, and against his servant Hezekiah. He wrote also letters to 
rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him. 

The Prayer of Hezekiah Prevails. 

Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the 
people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to 
trouble them ; that they might take the city. And they spake against 
the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, 
which were the work of the hands of man. And for this cause 
Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed 
and cried to heaven. 

And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, 
and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and 
spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and 
said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims^ 
thou art the God, even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth; 
thou hast made heaven and earth. Lord, bow down thine ear, and 
hear : open, Lord, thine eyes, and see : and hear the words of 
Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. Of a 
truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their 
lands, and have cast their gods into the fire : for they were no gods, 
but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have 
destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee ? 
save thou us out of his hand, that all the kindgdoms of the earth may 
know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 370 

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith 
the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against 
Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. Therefore thus saith the 
Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, 
nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a 
bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he 
return, and shall not come into this city, saith the Lord. For I will 
defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant 
David's sake. 

And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, 
and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five 
thousand : and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they 
were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and 
went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass as he 
was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that two of his sons 
smote him with the sword. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his 
stead. 

HEZEKIAH'S SICKNESS. 

IN those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet 
Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus 
saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and 
not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the 
Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have 
walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done 
that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 

And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle 
court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again and 
tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God 
of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears : 
behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the 
house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years ; and 
I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; 
and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant 



380 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

David's sake. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took 
and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 

And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah , What shall be the sign that the 
Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord 
the third day ? And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the 
Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken : shall the 
shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees ? And Heze- 
kiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten 
degrees : nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. And 
Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord : and he brought the shadow 
ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. 

At that time Berodach-baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a 
present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 
And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house 
of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the 
precious ointment, and all the house of his armor. Then came Isaiah 
the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these 
men? and from whence came they unto thee? 

And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from 
Babylon. And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And 
Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they 
seen : there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed 
them. And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord, 
Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which 
thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into 
Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And Hezekiah slept 
with his fathers : and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead. 

MANASSEH, AMON, AND JOSIAH. 

AND Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and 
he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem : but did that which 
was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of 
the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 
For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 381 

broken clown, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, 
and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he set 
a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of 
which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, 
and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel,: 
will I put my name for ever. 

So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, 
and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed 
before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and 
to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the Lord 
brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, 
which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, 
and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he 
besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the 
God of his fathers, and prayed unto him : and he was intreated of him, 
and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into 
his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God. 

Slain in His Own House. 

So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own 
house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. But he did that which 
was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father : and 
humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had 
humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more. And his 
servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house. But 
the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king 
Amon; and the people made Josiah his son king in his stead. 

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 
in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right 
in the sight of the Lord, for in the eighth year of his reign, while he 
was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father : 
and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from 
the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the 
molten images. 



382 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence ; and the 
images, that were on high above them, he cut down ; and the groves, 
and the carved images, and the molten images,, he brake in pieces, and 
made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had 
sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon 
their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so did he in the 
cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali. 
And when he had cut down all the idols throughout all the land of 
Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. 

The Book Read Before the King. 

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the 
land, and the house, he sent Shaphan and Maaseiah the governor of 
the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house 
of the Lord his God. And when they brought out the money that 
was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a 
book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. And Hilkiah delivered 
the book to Shaphan. Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, 
Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before 
the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words 
of the law, that he rent his clothes. 

Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah 
and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, 
and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the 
priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small : and he 
read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was 
found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place, 
and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to 
keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with 
all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the 
covenant which are written in this book. 

And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to 
stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the 
covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all 




383 



384 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children 
of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to 
serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from 
following the Lord, the God of their fathers. 

After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king 
of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates : and 
Josiah went out against him. And the archers shot at king Josiah ; 
and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore 
wounded. His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and 
put him in a second chariot that he had ; and they brought him to 
Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of 
his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. And 
Jeremiah lamented for Josiah : and all the singing men and the sing- 
ing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and 
made them an ordinance in Israel : and, behold, they are written in 
the lamentations. 

THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. 

THEN the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, 
and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. 
Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began 
to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And the king 
of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an 
hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. And the king of 
Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and 
turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz, and carried him 
to Egypt. 

Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, 
and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem : and he did that which 
was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. Against him came up 
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry 
him to Babylon. And Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 

And Jehoiachin did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. 
And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 385 

brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the 
Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem. 
Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and 
reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil 
in the sieht of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before 
Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And 
he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him 
swear by God : but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart 
from turning unto the Lord God of Israel. 

Jerusalem Besieged by the King of Babylon. 

And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth 
month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of 
Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched 
against it ; and they built forts against it round about. And the city 
was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. And on the 
ninth day of the fourth month, the famine prevailed in the city, and 
there was no bread for the people of the land. And the city was 
broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the 
gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden : (now the 
Chaldees were against the city round about :) and the king went the 
way toward the plain. 

And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook 
him in the plains of Jericho : and all his army were scattered from 
him. So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of 
Babylon to Riblah ; and they gave judgment upon him. And they 
slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of 
Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to 
Babylon. 

And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the 
treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and 
of his princes ; all these Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon. And 
they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, 
and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly 
2d 



386 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried 
he away to Babylon ; where they were servants to him and his sons 
until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: to fulfil the word of the Lord 
by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: 
for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore 
and ten years. 

THE RETURN FROM THE CAPTIVITY. 

NOW in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the 
Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord 
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a 
proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, 
saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven 
hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me 
to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there 
among you of all his people ? his God be with him, and let him go up 
to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God 
of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 

Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and 
the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, 
to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And 
all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of 
silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things. 

Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the 
Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and 
had put them in the house of his gods ; even those did Cyrus king of 
Persia bring forth and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of 
Judah. 

Now the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, 
of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the 
king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto 
Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; the whole congregation 
together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 
besides their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 387 

thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them 
two hundred singing men and singing women. Their horses were 
seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five; 
their camels, four hundred thirty and five ; their asses, six thousand 
seven hundred and twenty. 

And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house 
of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God 
to set it up in his place : they gave after their ability unto the treasure 
of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five 
thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments. 

And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel 
were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man 
to Jerusalem. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his 
brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his 
brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt 
offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God : 
and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt 
offerings morning and evening. 

THE SECOND TEMPLE. 

AND when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the 
Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and 
the Lcvites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, 
after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together 
by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord ; because he is 
good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the 
people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, 
because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But 
many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were 
ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of 
this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and 
many shouted aloud for joy : so that the people could not discern the 
noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people : 
for the people shouted, and the noise was heard afar off. 



388 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of 
Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counsellors against 
them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, 
even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. Rehum the chancellor 
and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes 
the king in this sort : Thy servants the men on this side the river, and 
at such a time. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came 
up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious 
and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the 

foundations. Be it 
known now unto the 
king, that, if this city 
be builded, and the 
walls set up again, then 
will they not pay toll, 
tribute, and customs, 
and so thou shalt en- 
damage the revenue of 
the kings. 

Now because we have 
maintenance from the 
king's palace, and it 
was not meet for us to 
see the king's dishonor, 

JEWISH SCRIBES. ., r , 

J therefore nave we sent 

and certified the king ; that search may be made in the book of 
the records of thy fathers : so shalt thou find in the book of the 
records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto 
kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the 
same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. We 
certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls 
thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this 
side the river. 

Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 389 

to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that 
dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at 
such a time. The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly 
read before me. And I commanded, and search hath been made, 
and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection 
against kines, and that rebellion and sedition have been made 
therein. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which 
have ruled over all countries beyond the river ; and toll, tribute, and 
custom, was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause 
these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another 
commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye fail 
not to do this : why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? 

The House of God at Jerusalem. 

Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before 
Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went 
up in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and made them to cease by 
force and power. Then ceased the work of the house of God which 
is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of 
Darius king of Persia. 

Then the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, prophesied unto the 
Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of 
Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Sheal- 
tiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of 
God which is at Jerusalem : and with them were the prophets of 
God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor 
on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and 
said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, 
and to make up this wall ? But the eye of their God was upon the 
elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the 
matter came to Darius. 

The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, 
and his companions sent unto Darius the king: Unto Darius the king, 
all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province 



390 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great 
stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, 
and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said 
unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to 
make ur> these walls ? We asked their names also, to certify thee, 
that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. 
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of 
the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded 
these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. 

But after that our fath- 
ers had provoked the 
God of heaven unto 
wrath, he gave them 
into the hand of Nebu- 
chadnezzar the king of 
Babylon, the Chaldean, 
who destroyed this 
house, and carried the 
people away into Baby- 
lon. But in the first 
year of Cyrus the king 
of Babylon the same 
king Cyrus made a 
decree to build this 
Persian king and officers of state. houseofGod. And the 
vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchad- 
nezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them 
into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the 
temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name 
was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor ; and said unto him, 
Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, 
and let the house of God be builded in his place. 

Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the 
house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that tim? even until 



, A 




Iflilllk. 


/\ (SI'S 




t 


JJ^B^BI^XKKIIt 




?■/ ypyi * - - ='&5^jg^||p? i ^vJ/^y / / 1 jSc^^i&ttli^^^ il wafir^ 


1 


4vfT7>4 ^"^- Jj?^p^g^j^' \jg^ 'l^iili ^&T*5r*H^ 7P£#!iit 


11 

h'l 






4SilllilV Wmm" L 


1 


III 

IP 


i 

if- 


1 
) f 


HfPOi 


Tv WW U 


m 


5? 




J ''/■'»! |||i 




' " " *■ J-a i r.Xi.-'gl ~ '" " ^\^^s=: 


~-'~ 


*-=*- - v_^-«^ ^"^ KSa 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 391 

now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished. Now there- 
fore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's 
treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a 
decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at 
Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this 
matter. 

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the 
house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And 
there was found at Achmetha that is in the province of the Medes, a 
roll, and therein was a record thus written : In the first year of Cyrus 
the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house 
of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they 
offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid ; the 
height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore 
cubits ; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and 
let the expenses be given out of the king's house : and also let the 
golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar 
took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto 
Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at 
Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. 

King Darius and the Rebuilding of the Temple. 

Now therefore, wrote Darius, let the work of this house of God 
alone ; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build 
this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye 
shall do to the ciders of these Jews for the building of this house of 
God : that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, 
forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. 
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams, 
and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, 
wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at 
Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail : that they may 
offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for 
the life of the king, and of his sons. 



S92 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let 
timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be 
hanged thereon ; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. And 
the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings 
and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this 
house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; 
let it be done with speed. 

Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and 
their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, 
so they did speedily. And the elders of the Jews builded, and they 
prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and 
Zechariah the son of Iddo. And this house was finished on the third 
day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of 
Darius the king. 

And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest 
of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of 
God with joy, and offered at the dedication of this house of God an 
hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs ; and for a 
sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of 
the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions, and 
the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jeru- 
salem; as it is written in the book of Moses. And the children of the 
captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. 
And the children of Israel kept the feast of unleavened bread seven 
days with joy : fbr the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the 
heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in 
the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. 

EZRA GOES UP FROM BABYLON. 

NOW after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, 
Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in 
the law of Moses: and the king granted him all his request, 
according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. 

Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave 




393 



394 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the 
commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, 
king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of 
heaven, perfect peace. I make a decree, that all they of the people of 
Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded 
of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 

Offerings to be Made Upon the Altar. 

Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsel- 
lors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law 
of thy God which is in thine hand : and to carry the silver and gold, 
which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God 
of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, and all the silver and gold 
that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill 
offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the 
house of their God which is in Jerusalem : that thou mayest buy 
speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat 
offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of 
the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever shall seem 
good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver 
and the gold, that do after the will of your God. The vessels also 
that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those 
deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 

And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, 
which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's 
treasure house. And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a 
decree to all the treasures which are beyond the river, that whatso- 
ever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall 
require of you, it be done speedily, unto an hundred talents of silver, 
and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of 
wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how 
much. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be 
diligently done for the house of the God of heaven : for why should 
there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons ? 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 395 

Also wc certify you, that touching any of the ministers of this house 
of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon 
them. And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine 
hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that 
are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God ; and teach 
ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of 
thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily 
upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confisca- 
tion of goods, or to imprisonment. 

Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a 
thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord 
which is in Jerusalem : and hath extended mercy unto me before the 
king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. 
And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon 
me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me. 
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava ; and 
there abode we in tents three days. Then we departed from the 
river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto 
Jerusalem : and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered 
us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. 

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. Now on 
the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in 
the house of our God, by number and by weight of every one : and 
all the weight was written at that time. Also the children of those 
that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, 
offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel. And they delivered 
the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants, and to the 
governors :• and they furthered the people, and the house of God. 

THE REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM. 

THE words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to 
pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in 
Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he 
and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that 



396 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORV. 

had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 
And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there 
in the province are in great affliction and reproach : the wall of Jeru- 
salem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. 
And it came to pass when I heard these words, that I sat down and 
wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the 
God of heaven, and said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the 
great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that 
love him and observe his commandments : let thine ear now be 
attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy 
servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children 
of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, 
which we have sinned against thee : both I and my father's house 
have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have 
not kept thy commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, 
which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. 

A Promise to the Obedient. 

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy 
servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad 
among the nations : but if ye turn unto me, and keep my command- 
ments, and do them ; though there were of you cast out unto the 
uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and 
will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name 
there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast 
redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. O Lord, I 
beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy 
servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy 
name : and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him 
mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. 

And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of 
Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him : and I took up the 
wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad 
in his presence. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy 




397 



398 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick ? this is nothing else but 
sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid, and said unto the king, 
Let the king live for ever : why should not my countenance be sad, 
when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the 
gates thereof are consumed with fire ? Then the king said unto me, 
For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of 
heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy 
servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me 
unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. 

The King's Letters to the Governors. 

And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For 
how long shall thy journey be ? and when wilt thou return ? So it 
pleased the king to send me ; and I set him a time. Moreover I said 
unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the 
governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come 
into Judah ; and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, 
that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace 
which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for 
the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according 
to the good hand of my God upon me. 

Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the 
king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and 
horsemen with me. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three 
days. And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me ; 
neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at 
Jerusalem : neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I 
rode upon. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and 
viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the 
gates thereof were consumed with fire. And the rulers knew not 
whither I went, or what I did ; neither had I as yet told it to the 
Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the 
rest that did the work. 

Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 399 

Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire : 
come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more 
a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was 
good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. 
And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their 
hands for this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and 
Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem, the Arabian, heard it, 
they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing 
that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, 
and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us ; there- 
fore we his servants will arise and build. 

Reproaches of the Enemy. 

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the 
wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, 
What do these feeble Jews ? will they fortify themselves ? will they 
sacrifice ? will they make an end in a day ? will they revive the stones 
out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned ? Now Tobiah the 
Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build if a 
fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our 
God ; for we are dispised : and turn their reproach upon their own 
head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity : and cover not 
their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee : 
for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. So built we 
the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: 
for the people had a mind to work. 

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the 
Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the 
walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be 
stopped, then they were very ' wroth, and conspired all of them 
together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. 
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch 
against them day and night, because of them. 



400 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, 
and there is much rubbish ; so that we are not able to build the wall. 
And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we 
come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to 

cease. And it 
came to pass, that 
when the Jews 
which dwelt by 
them came, they 
said unto us ten 
times, From all 
places whence ye 
shall return unto 

j>\\\\ iv ^ ^~j^fflii^'i ~u I'ty^-N us the y wil1 be 

\f v\ yv"! I i i V I ^ \\trf r ) upon you. 

Therefore set I 
in the lower places 
behind the wall, 
and on the higher 
places, I even set 
the people after 
their families with 
their swords, their 
spears, and their 
bows. And I 
looked and rose 
up, and said unto 
the nobles, and to 
the rulers, and to 
the rest of the 
people, Be not ye afraid of them : remember the Lord, which is great 
and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daugh- 
ters, your wives, and your houses. 

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known 




ANCIENT PSALTERIES AND HARPS. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 401 

unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we 
returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came 
to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in 
the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, 
and the bows, and the habergeons ; and the rulers were behind all 
the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that 
bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands 
wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For 
the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so 
builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. 

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month 
Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our 
enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw 
these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes : for they 
perceived that this work was wrought of our God. 

And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem : the rest of the 
people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the 
holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities. And the people 
blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at 
Jerusalem. And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they 
sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, 
to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and 
with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. And the sons 
of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain 
country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages, and they 
stood in two companies upon the wall, the singers and the priests 
with trumpets. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their 
overseer, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off. 

QUEEN ESTHER. 

NOW it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus 
which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an 
hundred and seven and twenty provinces). In the third year 
of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants ; 



402 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of 
his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and four-score days. 
And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all 
the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great 
and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace ; 
where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of 
fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble ; the beds 
were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, 
and black, marble. And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, 
(the vessels being diverse one from another), the royal wine in abun- 
dance, according to the state of the king. Also Vashti made a feast 
for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. 

Queen Vashti Refuses to Come Before the King. 

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with 
wine, he commanded the seven chamberlains to bring Vashti the 
queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and 
the princes her beauty : for she was fair to look on. But the queen 
Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamber- 
lains : therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in 
him. Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, 
What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because 
she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by 
the chamberlains ? And Memucan answered before the king and the 
princes, If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment 
from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and 
the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before 
king Ahasuerus ; and let the king give her royal estate unto another 
that is better than she. 

And the saying pleased the king and the princes ; and the king did 
according to the word of Memucan. Then said the king's servants 
that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for 
the king : and let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead 
of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 403 

Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name 
was Mordecai, who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the 
captivity Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. 
And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter : 
for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beau- 
tiful ; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took 
for his own daughter. 

So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree 
was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto 
Shushan the palace, that Esther was brought also unto the king's 
house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the 
maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him ; and he 
preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the 
women. Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred : for 
Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it. And 
Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to 
know how Esther did, and what should become of her. 

Esther Obtains the King's Favor. 

Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, 
whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house 
of the women unto the king's house. Now when the turn of Esther 
was come, she required nothing but what the king's chamberlain 
appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that 
looked upon her. So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his 
house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the 
seventh year of his reign. 

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained 
grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins ; so that he set 
the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of 
Vashli. Then the king made a, great feast unto all his princes and 
his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the pro- 
vinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king. 

In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the 



404 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

king's chamberlains of those which kept the door, were wroth, and 
sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the thing was 
known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen ; and Esther 
certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name. And when inquisition 
was made of the matter, it was found out ; therefore they were both 
hanged on a tree : and it was written in the book of the chronicles 
before the king. 

After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the 
Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes 
that were with him. And all the king's servants, that were in the 
king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman : for the king had so 
commanded. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence. 
Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto 
Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment ? 

Haman's Evil Designs Against the Jews. 

Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he 
hearkened not unto them, that they told Hainan, to see whether 
Mordecai's matters would stand : for he had told them that he was a 
Jew. And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him 
reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. And he thought scorn to 
lay hands on Mordecai alone ; for they had showed him the people of 
Mordecai : wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that 
were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people 
of Mordecai. 

And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus,. There is a certain people 
scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces 
of thy kingdom ; and their laws are diverse from all people ; neither 
keep they the king's laws : therefore it is not for the king's profit to 
suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be 
destroyed : and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands 
of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the 
king's treasuries. 

And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman 




405 



406 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

the Jews' enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given 
to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee. 
Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the 
first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had 
commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were 
over every province ; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, 
and sealed with the king's ring. And the letters were sent by posts 
into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill and to cause to perish, 
all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day 
even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month 
Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. 

Mordecai Clothed with Sackcloth. 

The posts went out, being hastened by the king's commandment, 
and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and 
Haman sat down to drink ; but the city Shushan was perplexed. When 
Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and 
put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, 
and cried with a loud and bitter cry ; and came even before the king's 
gate : for none might enter into the king s gate clothed with sackcloth. 
And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and 
his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and 
fasting, and weeping and wailing ; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 

So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then 
was the queen exceedingly grieved ; and she sent raiment to clothe 
Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him : but he received 
it not. Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamber- 
lains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a 
commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was. So 
Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was 
before the king's gate. 

And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of 
the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's 
treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. Also he gave him the copy 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 407 

of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy 
them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to 
charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication 
unto him, and to make request before him for her people. And 
Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. 

Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment 
unto Mordecai : All the king's servants, and the people of the king's 
provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall 
come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is 
one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king 
shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live : but I have not 
been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. 

Esther Resolves to go Before the King. 

And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. Then Mordecai com- 
manded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt 
escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou 
altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement 
and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place ; but thou and 
thy father's house shall be destroyed : and who knoweth whether thou 
art come to the kingdom for such a time as this ? 

Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather 
together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, 
and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day : I also and my 
maidens will fast likewise ; and so I will go in unto the king, which is 
not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 

Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal 
apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against 
the king's house : and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal 
house, over against the gate of the house. And it was so, when the 
king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained 
favor in his sight : and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre 
that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of 
the sceptre. 



408 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther ? and 
what is thy request ? it shall be even given thee to the half of the 
kingdom. And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let 
the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have 
prepared for him. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that 
Esther had prepared. 

And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy 
petition ? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even 
to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. Then answered 
Esther, and said, My petition and my request is : If I have found favor 
in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, 
and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the 
banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the 
king hath said. 

Haman Boasts of His Glory and Riches. 

Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart : but 
when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, 
nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. 

Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, 
he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife. And Haman 
told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, 
and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he 
had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 
Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in 
with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and 
to-morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this 
availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the 
king's gate. 

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows 
be made of fifty cubits high, and to-morrow speak thou unto the king 
that Mordecai may be hanged thereon : then go thou in merrily with 
the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman ; and he 
caused the gallows to be made. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 409 

THE ADVANCEMENT OF MORDECAI. 

ON that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to 
bring the book of the records of the chronicles ; and they were 
read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai 
had told of two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, 
who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, 
What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this ? Then 
said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing 
done for him. And the king said, Who is in the court ? Now Hainan 
was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the 
king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 
And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in 
the court. 

And the king said, Let him come in. So Haman came in. And 
the kincr said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the 
king dclighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To 
whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself? 
And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king 
dclighteth to honor, let the royal apparel be brought which the king 
useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown 
royal which is set upon his head : and let this apparel and horse be 
delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that 
they may array the man withal whom the king deligheth to honor, 
and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and 
proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king 
dclighteth to honor. 

Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel 
and his horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, 
that sitteth at the king's gate : let nothing fail of all that thou hast 
spoken. Then took Haman the, apparel and the horse and arrayed 
Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the 
city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man 
whom the king delighteth to honor. 



410 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted 
to his house mourning, and having his head covered. And Haman 
told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen 
him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh liis wife unto him, if 
Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to 
fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shall surely fall before him. 
And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamber- 
lains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had 
prepared. 

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. 
And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the 
banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be 
granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, 
even to the half of the kingdom. Then Esther the queen answered 
and said, If I have found favor in thy sight, O king, and if it please 
the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my 
request : for we are sold, I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain, 
and to perish. 

Haman Hanged on His Own Gallows. 

Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, 
Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? 
And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. 
Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And Har- 
bonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the 
gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who 
had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then 
the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the 
gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's 
wrath pacified. 

On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the 
Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the 
king; for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took 
off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto 
Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 411 

And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his 
feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Hainan 
the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 
Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So 
Esther arose, and stood before the king, and said, If it please the king, 
and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before 
the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the 
letters devised by Haman, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which 
are in all the king's provinces : for how can I endure to see the evil 
that shall come unto my people ? or how can I endure to see the 
destruction of my kindred ? Then the king Ahasuerus said unto 
Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given 
Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the 
gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. Write ye also for 
the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the 
king's ring : for the writing which is written in the king's name, and 
sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse. 

The Jews Rejoice and Make a Feast. 

Then were the king's scribes called. And he wrote in the king 
Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters 
by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young- 
dromedaries : wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every 
city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to 
destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people 
and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and 
to take the spoils of them for a prey, upon one day in all the provinces 
of king Ahasuerus, namely upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth 
month, which is the month Adar. 

And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal 
apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a 
garment of fine linen and purple : and the city of Shushan rejoiced 
and was glad. The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor. 
And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's 



412 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a 
feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became 
Jews ; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them. 

And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five 
hundred men. And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews 
have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, 
now what is thy petition ? and it shall be granted thee : or what is thy 
request further? and it shall be done. Then said Esther, If it please 
the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do 
to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Hainan's 
ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. And the king commanded it 
so to be done : and the decree was given at Shushan ; and they 
hanged Haman's ten sons. 

And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the 
Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh 
and far, to stablish this among them, that they should keep the four- 
teenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, 
yearly, as the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and 
the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from 
mourning into a good day. 

And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the 
isles of the sea. And all the acts of his power and of his might, and 
the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king 
advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of 
the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next 
unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the 
multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and 
speaking peace to all his seed. 

THE STORY OF JOB. 

THERE was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job ; and 
that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God 
and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons 
and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



413 



and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five 
hundred she asses, and a very great household; so lh:it this man was 
the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted 
in their houses, every one his day ; and sent and called for their three 
sisters to eat and drink with them. And it was so, when the days of 
their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, 
and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings accord- 




ARABIAN CAMELS. 

ing to the number of them all : for Job said, It may be that my sons 
have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job con- 
tinually. 

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present them- 
selves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the 
Lord said unto Satan, Whence ,comest thou ? Then Satan answered 
the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from 
walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast 



414 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the 
earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and 
escheweth evil ? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth 
Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, 
and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side ? thou 




OXEN TREADING OUT CORN. 

hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in 
the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, 
and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, 
Behold, all that he hath is in thy power ; only upon himself put not 
forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. 
And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 415 

and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house : and there came a 
messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses 
feeding beside them : and the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them 
away : yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword ; 
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, 
there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from 
heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and con- 
sumed them ; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he 
was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans 
made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them 
away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword ; and I 
only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there 
came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating 
and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house : and, behold, there 
came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of 
the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead ; and I 
only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his 
mantle and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and 
worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and 
naked shall I return thither : the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken 
away ; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, 
nor charged God foolishly. 

None Like Unto Job in the Earth. 

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present them- 
selves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present 
himself before the Lord. And the Lord said unto Satan, From 
whence comest thou ? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, 
From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down it. 
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, 
that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, 
one that feareth God, and escheweth evil ? and still he holdeth fast 
his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him 
without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for 



416 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth 
thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse 
thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in 
thine hand ; but save his life. 

So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job 
with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took 
him a potsherd to scrape himself withal ; and he sat down among the 
ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine 
integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest 
as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good 
at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil ? In all this did not 
Job sin with his lips. 

THE LORD REASONETH WITH JOB. 

THEN the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowl- 
edge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand 
of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the 
foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who 
hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest ? or who hath 
stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof 
fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; when the morning- 
stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? or who 
shut up the sea with doors? When I made the cloud the garment 
thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling-band for it, and set bars and 
doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here 
shall thy proud waves be stayed? 

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the 
the dayspring to know his place, that it might take hold of the ends 
of earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? It is turned 
as clay to the seal, and they stand as a garment. And from the 
wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken. 
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked 
in search of the deep? Have the gates of death been opened unto 



the old Testament story. 417 

thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Hast 
thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all. 
Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where 
is the place thereof, that thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, 
and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof? 
Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the 
number of thy days is great? Hast thou entered into the treasures 
of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have 
reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war? 
By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon 
the earth? Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of 
waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder; to cause it to rain on 
the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no 
man; to satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the 
bud of the tender herb to spring forth? 

The Mighty Works of God. 

Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, 
Here we are? Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who 
hath given understanding to the heart? Who can number the clouds 
in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven, when the dust 
groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together? Wilt 
thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young 
lions, when they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie 
in wait? Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young 
ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. 

Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands 
of the wild ass? whose house I have made the wilderness, and the 
barren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of the city, 
neither regardeth he the crying of the driver. The range of the 
mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing. 

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? 
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow ? or will he 
harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his 
27 




418 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 419 

strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labor to him? Wilt thou 
believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into 
thy barn ? 

Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and 
feathers unto the ostrich? Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and 
warmeth them in dust, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, 
or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her 
young ones, as though they were not her's : her labor is in vain with- 
out fear ; because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he 
imparted to her understanding. What time she lifteth up herself on 
high, she scorneth the horse and his rider. 

The Horse in Battle. 

Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck 
with thunder ? Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper ? the 
glory of his nostrils is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth 
in his strength ; he goeth on to meet the armed men. He mocketh 
at fear, and is not affrighted ; neither turneth he back from the sword. 
The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield. 
He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage : neither believeth 
he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, 
Ha, ha ; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains 
and the shouting. 

Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward 
the south ? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make 
her nest on high ? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the 
crag of the rock, and the strong place. From thence she seeketh the 
prey, and her eyes behold afar off. Her young ones also suck up 
blood : and where the slain are, there is she. 

Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth 
with the Almighty instruct him ? he that reproveth God, let him 
answer it. 

Then Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold I am vile ; what 
shall I answer thee ? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once 



420 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

have I spoken ; but I will not answer : yea, twice ; but I will proceed 
no further. 

Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 
Gird up thy loins now like a man : I will demand of thee, and declare 
thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt th(5u con- 
demn me, that thou mayest be righteous ? 

Hast thou an arm like God ? or canst thou thunder with a voice 
like him ? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency ; and 
array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thyi 
wrath : and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on 
every one that is proud, and bring him low ; and tread down the 
wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together ; and bind 
their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own 
right hand can save thee. 

Behemoth and Leviathan. 

Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee ; he eateth grass 
as an ox. His bones are as strong pieces of brass ; his bones are like 
bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God : he that made him 
can make his sword to approach unto him. He lieth under the shady 
trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. The shady trees cover him 
with their shadow ; the willows of the brook compass him about. 
Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not : he trusteth that he 
can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook ? or his tongue with a 
cord which thou lettest down? Canst thou put an hook into his 
nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn ? Will he make many 
supplications unto thee ? wilt he speak soft words unto thee ? Will 
he make a covenant with thee ? will thou take him for a servant for 
ever ? Wilt thou play with him as with a bird ? or wilt thou bind 
him for thy maidens ? Shall thy companions make a banquet of him? 
shall they part him among the merchants ? Canst thou fill his skin 
with barbed irons ? or his head with fish spears ? Lay thine hand 
upon him, remember the battle, do no more. Behold, the hope of 




4M 



422 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

him is in vain : shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him ? 
None is so fierce that dare stir him up : who then is able to stand 
before me ? Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him ? 
whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 

And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto 
Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled 
against thee, and against thy two friends ; for ye have not spoken of 
me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take 
unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant 
Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering : and my servant 
Job shall pray for you : for him will I accept : lest I deal with you 
after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is 
right, like my servant Job. 

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the 
Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them : 
the Lord also accepted Job. 

The Last Days of Job Better Than the First. 

Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, 
and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat 
bread with him in his house : and they bemoaned him, and comforted 
him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him : every man 
also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 

So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his begin- 
ning : for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, 
and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 

He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the 
name of the first, Jemima ; and the name of the second, Kezia ; and 
the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. And in all the land were no 
women found so fair as the daughters of Job : and their father gave 
them inheritance among their brethren. 

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, 
and his sons' sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old 
and full of days. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



423 



^*g? 







f^f H E , a/kt E WAY * 

VO ■FA^Sg^OOD. 




_ ^THE W AV 
TO BAD T£MPZR. 




LilTTLE, fOXE£ 3pOIL 



wiije is a rrjoc^er, sfrorjq 
anr)^ is raqirjq : arja wrjo 



so= 



is 



$ 






qohpndirvh^na. 



ever is deceived thereby 
noi wise. 

ijeep ftjy Jerque jrorr) evil, 
ar>d njv lips porr) speozi^irjcjj 



g 



uile. 




He lr)<zrf is slow fo wralrj 
is of epeaf ur)derslar)dir)q. 



424 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



k 



V 



•A 



t©EMEMBER pow % 

Creator ir> bl>e days 
o£ bt)y youbl). 

H^arlcer) ur>bo rrje, ye 
ctjildrei): jW blessed ar^ 
bl>ey bt>ab keep ipy ways. 

I lov^ bl>en) tit)ab love 
n)e ; ar>d bt)os^ bl>ab se^fc 
n)e ^arly sl)all £ir)d rx)^. 



I" Lre'vlarilr 
pure siakh 




THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 425 

DANIEL AND HIS THREE FRIENDS. 

IN the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came 
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged 
it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 
with part of the vessels of the house of God : which he carried into the 
land of Shinar to the house of his god ; and he brought the vessels 
into the treasure house of his god. And the king spake unto 
Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of 
the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes ; 
children in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skilful in all 
wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and 
such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom 
they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 

Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, 
Mishael, and Azariah : unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave 
names : for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar ; and to 
Hananiah, of Shadrach ; and to Mishael, of Meshach ; and to Azariah, 
of Abed-nego. 

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in 
all learning and wisdom : and Daniel had understanding in all visions 
and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he 
should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in 
before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them ; and 
among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and 
Azariah ; therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of 
wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found 
them better than all the magicians and astrologers in all his realm. 

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM. 

AND in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebu- 
chadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, 
and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to 
call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the 



426 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood 
before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a 
dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream. Then spake 
the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, O king, live for ever : tell thy 
servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation. 

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone 
from me : if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the 
interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall 
be made a dunghill. But if ye show the dream, and the interpretation 
thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor : 
therefore show me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. They 
answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and 
we will show the interpretation of it. The king answered and said, 
I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the 
thing is gone from me. But if ye will not make known unto me the 
dream, there is but one decree for you ; for ye have prepared lying 
and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed ; there- 
fore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the 
interpretation thereof. 

The King Angry and Furious. 

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a 
man upon the earth that can show the king's matter : therefore there 
is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things of any magician, or 
astrologer, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, 
and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the 
gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the king was 
angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men 
of Babylon. And the decree went forth that all the wise men should 
be slain ; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain. 

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the cap- 
tain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men 
of Babylon : he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why 
is the decree so hasty from the king ? Then Arioch made known the 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 427 

thing to Daniel. Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that he 
would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpreta- 
tion. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to 
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions : that they would 
desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; then 
Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest uf the wise men 
of Babylon. 

Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then 
Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, 
Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever : for wisdom and might 
are his : and he changeth the times and the seasons : he removeth 
kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and 
knowledge to them that know understanding : he revealeth the deep 
and secret things : he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light 
dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God 
of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made 
known unto me now what we desired of thee : for thou hast now 
made known unto us the king's matter. 

Daniel Brought Before the King. 

Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had 
ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon : he went and said thus 
unto him : Destroy not the wise men of Babylon : bring me in before 
the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation. Then 
Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto 
him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make 
known unto the king the interpretation. The king answered and said 
to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make 
known unto me the dream which I have seen and the interpretation 
thereof? 

Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret 
which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, 
the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king ; but there is a God 
in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king 



428 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dreams, and 
the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these ; as for thee, O king, 
thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to 
pass hereafter : and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee 
what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to 
me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their 
sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that 
thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. 

Interpretation of the Dream. 

Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, 
whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee ; and the form 
thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast 
and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass. His legs of 
iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a 
stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet 
that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the 
iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces 
together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors ; 
and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them ; 
and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and 
filled the whole earth. 

This is the dream ; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before 
the king. Thou, O king art a king of kings, for the God of heaven 
hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And 
wheresover the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and 
the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath 
made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And 
after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another 
third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And 
the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron : forasmuch as iron breaketh 
in pieces and subdueth all things : and as iron that breaketh all these, 
shall it break in pieces and bruise. 

And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 429 

part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided ; but there shall be in it of 
the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with 
miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of 
clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And 
whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle 
themselves with the seed of men : but they shall not cleave one to 
another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of 
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall 
never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to the other 
people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, 
and it shall stand for ever. 

Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the 
mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the 
brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold ; the great God hath made 
known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter : and the dream 
is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. 

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and wor- 
shipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation 
and sweet odors unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, 
Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, 
and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret. Then 
the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and 
made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the 
governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested 
of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the 
affairs of the province of Babylon ; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. 

HEBREWS IN THE FIERY FURNACE. 

NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king made an image of gold, whose 
height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six 
cubits : he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of 
Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the 
princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, 
the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to 



430 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king 
had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the 
judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers 
of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the 
image that Nebuchadnezzer the king had set up ; and they stood 
before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 

Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, 
nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the 
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of 
music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchad- 
nezzar the king hath set up : and whoso falleth not down and wor- 
shipped shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery 
furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound 
of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, 
all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and wor- 
shipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 

The Hebrews Refuse to Worship the Image. 

Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused 
the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, 
live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man 
that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, 
and dulcimer, and all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the 
golden image : and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he 
should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are 
certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of 
Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego ; these men, O king, 
have not regarded thee : they serve not thy gods, nor worship the 
golden image which thou hast set up. 

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage 
was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego : therefore 
he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven 
times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the 
most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, 




431 



432 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the fiery furnace. Then these 
men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their 
other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 

Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent, and the fur- 
nace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up 
Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach, 
Meshach and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning 
fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose 
up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast 
three men bound into the midst of the fire ? 

They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered 
and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and 
they have no hurt ; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery 
furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye 
servants of the most high God, come forth, and come thither. Then 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the 
fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's coun- 
sellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies 
the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither 
were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shad- 
rach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered 
his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and 
yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, 
except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, 
nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces. 

BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST. 

BELSHAZZAR the king made a great feast to a thousand of his 
lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzaf, while 
he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver 
vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 433 

which was in Jerusalem ; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and 
his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden 
vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which 
was at Jerusalem ; and the king, and his princes, his wives and his 
concubines, drank in them. 

The Handwriting on the Wall. 

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote 
over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's 
palace : and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the 
king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so 
that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one 
against another. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the 
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the 
wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me 
the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have 
a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the 
kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men : but they could not 
read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation 
thereof. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his couten- 
ance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished. 

Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords 
came into the banquet house : and the queen spake and said, O king, 
live for ever : let not thy thoughts trouble thee nor let thy countenance 
be changed. There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit 
of the holy gods ; and in the days of thy father light and understand- 
ing and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him ; 
whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, 
made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and sooth- 
sayers ; forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and under- 
standing, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and 
dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king 
named Belteshazzar : now let Daniel be called, and he will show the 
interpretation. 
28 



434 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king 
spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the 
cnildren of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought 
out of Jewry ? I have even heard of thee, that- the spirit of the gods 
is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is 
found in thee. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been 
brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make 
known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not show 
the interpretation of the thing : and I have heard of thee, that thou 
canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts : now if thou canst 
read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, 
thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about 
thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler of the kingdom. 

Daniel Tells the Meaning of the Writing. 

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to 
thyself, and give thy rewards to another ; yet I will read the writing 
unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou 
king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, 
and majesty, and glory, and honor : and for the majesty that he gave 
him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled, and feared before 
him : whom he would he slew ; and whom he would he kept alive; 
and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he 
was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from 
him : and he was driven from the sons of men ; and his heart was 
made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses : they 
fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of 
heaven : till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of 
men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, 
though thou knewest all this ; but hast lifted up thyself against the 
Lord of heaven ; and they have brought the vessels of his house 
before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, 




435 



436 THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 

have drunk wine in them ; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, 
and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor 
know : and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all 
thy ways, hast thou not glorified : then was the part of the hand sent 
from him ; and this writing was written. 

And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, 
TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: 
MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; 
Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; 
Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. Then 
commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put 
a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning 
him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. In that night 
was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the 
Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. 

DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN. 

IT pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty 
princes, which should be over the whole kingdom ; and over 
these three presidents ; of whom Daniel was first : that the 
princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no 
damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and 
princes, because an excellent spirit was in him : and the king thought 
to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes 
sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom : but 
they could find none occasion nor fault ; forasmuch as he was 
faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then 
said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, 
except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 

Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, 
and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents 
of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors and 
the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and 
to make a firm decree, that whosoever shalt ask a petition of any 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



437 



God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into 
the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the degree, and sign the 
writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and 
Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the 
writing and the decree. 

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into 
his house ; and his windows being open in his chamber toward 
Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees, three times a day, and prayed 



m&Mfoz* 




THE JEWISH CAPTIVES BROUGHT BEFORE DARIUS. 

and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime. Then these men 
assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before 
his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning 
the king's decree : Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that 
shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, 
O king, shall be cast into the den of lions ? The king answered and 
said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, 
which altereth not. 



438 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which 
is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, 
nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three 
times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore 
displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him ; 
and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then 
these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, 
O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor 




DANIEL IN THE DEN OF LIONS. 

statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king 
commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of 
lions. 

Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou 
servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, 
and laid upon the mouth of the den ; and the king sealed it with his 
own signet, and with the signet of the lords ; that the purpose might 
not be changed concerning Daniel. 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 439 

Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting : 
neither were instruments of music brought before him : and his sleep 
went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and 
went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, 
he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel : and the king spake and 
said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom 
thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the lions ? 

Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever, My God 
hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have 
not hurt me : forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me ; 
and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the 
king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take 
Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, 
and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed 
in his God. 

THE STORY OF JONAH. 

NOW the word of the Lord came unto Jonah, saying, Arise, go to 
Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it ; for their wicked- 
ness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto 
Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa ; 
and he found a ship going to Tarshish : so he paid the fare thereof, 
and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the 
presence of the Lord. 

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a 
mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. 
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and 
cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of 
them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship ; and he 
lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said 
unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper ? arise, call upon thy God, 
if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they 
said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may 
know for whose cause this evil is upon us. 




440 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 441 

So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Then said they unto 
him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us ? 
What is thine occupation ? and whence comest thou ? what is thy 
country ? and of what people art thou ? And he said unto them, 
I am an Hebrew ; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath 
made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly 
afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this ? For the men 
knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told 
them. 

Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the 
sea may be calm unto us ? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. 
And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea ; 
so shall the sea be calm unto you : for I know that for my sake this 
great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to 
bring it to the land ; but they could not : for the sea wrought, and 
was tempestuous against them. 

The Sea Ceased from its Raging. 

Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O 
Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not 
upon us innocent blood : for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased 
thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea : and 
the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceed- 
ingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. Now 
the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And 
Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, 
and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he 
heard me ; Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the 
fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. And the word of 
the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto 
Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid 
thee. So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word 
of the Lord. Now Ninevah was an exceeding great city of three 




442 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 443 

days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's 
journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be 
overthrown. 

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast and 
put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 
For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his 
throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sack- 
cloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be praclaimed and 
published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles 
saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd or flock, taste anything : let 
them not feed, nor drink water : but let man and beast be covered 
with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God : yea, let them turn every 
one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce 
anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned 
from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that 
he would do unto them; and he did it not. 

Jonah's Gourd. 

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And 
he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this 
my saying, when I was yet in my country ? Therefore I fled before 
unto Tarshish : for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, 
slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 
Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me ; for it 
is better for me to die than to live. 

Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry ? So Jonah 
went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there 
made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see 
what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd, 
and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over 
his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad 
of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the 
next day, and it smote the gourd that is withered. 




444 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



445 




ft©? 



Ke* 



^rirjcl if)© liopd i©o^ 
rr)© as 1 f©ll©W©a ffj© flock 
Grr)d ft)© JJopd said urjfo 
rr)©, l^I©, propl)©sy urjfo 
rr)y people lsra©l. lyow 
ii)©r©j©r© rj©ar irjou fr)© 
orel ©t fr)© IJopq, 

Jj© ; 1 will c©rr)ir)ar)a, ar)d 1 w\ll 

ft ii)© rj©us© ©J lsra©l arrjoi)©: all 

r)<zcfi0i)Sj liJje. as copr) is sijlea irj 

a siovo, yef sijerll i)ol 11)© l©asf 

©pair) Tall upor) lrj© ©arlrj. 




446 



THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY. 



And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a 
vehement east wind ; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that 
he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me 
to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be 
angry for the gourd ? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto 
death. Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the 
which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow ; which came up 
in a night, and perished in a night : and should I not spare Ninevah, 
that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that 
cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand ; and also 
much cattle. 





THE ANNUNCIATION. 



447 




" NO VIRTUE OF MORE NOBLE WORTH, 

THAN TRUTH, FROM HEAVEN BROUGHT TO EARTH." 



448 



THE 

NEW TESTAMENT STORY 



THE ANNUNCIATION. 

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and 
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. 
All things were made by him ; and without him was not any thing 
made that was made. In him was life ; and the life was the light of 
men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness compre- 
hended it not. 

The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named 
Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of 
the house of David ; and the virgin's name was Mary. 

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art 
highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in 
her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel 
said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. 
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, 
and shall call his name JESUS. 

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and 
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and 
he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom 
there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall 
this be, seeing I know not a man ? And the angel answered and said 
unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee : therefore also that holy thing which 
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 

29 449 



450 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 





And Mary arose in those days, and entered into 
the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. And 
when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, she 
spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art 
thou among women. And whence is this to me, 
that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Sav- 
iour. For he hath regarded the low estate 
of his handmaiden : for, behold, from hence- 
forth all generations shall call me blessed. 
For he that is mighty hath done to me great 
things ; and holy is his name. 

And his mercy is on them that 
fear him from generation to genera- 
tion. He hath showed strength with 
his arm ; he hath scattered the proud 
in the imagination of their hearts. 
He hath put down the mighty from 
their seats, and exalted them of low 
degree. He hath filled the hungry 
with good things : and the rich he hath 
sent empty away. He hath holpen 
his servant Israel, in remem- 
berance of his mercy ; as he 
spake to our fathers, to Abra- 
ham, and to his seed for ever. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



451 




THE ANGEL ANNOUNCES THE BIRTH OF CHRIST 

rr 




THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. 



452 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. 

AND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree 
from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, 
into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem ; (because 
he was of the house and lineage of David :) to be taxed with Mary 
his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while 
they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be 
delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped 
him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there 
was no room for them in the inn. 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field 
keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the 
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about 
them : and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of 
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign 
unto you : Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying 
in a manger. 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly 
host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on 
earth peace, goodwill toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels 
were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to 
another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which 
is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And 
they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe 
lying in a manger. 

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying 
which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard 
it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And 




1 



N 



-'' :<**?¥, - ; ft' 

■1 f 






■«**•** 




THE ANNUNCIATION. 




THE ADORATION OF THE WISE MEN. 




453 



454 



The new testament story. 



the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the 
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 
And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of 
the child, his name was called JESUS. 

SIMEON AND ANNA. 

BEHOLD, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was 
Simeon : and the same man was just and devout, waiting 
for the consolation of Israel : and the Holy Ghost was 
upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, 
that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's 
Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple : and when 
the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the 
custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed 
God, and said, Lord, now lettest 
thou thy servant depart in peace, 
according to thy word, for mine 
eyes have seen thy salvation, which 
thou hast prepared before the face 
of all people; a light to lighten the 
Gentiles, and the glory of thy peo- 
ple Israel. 

And Joseph and his mother 
marvelled at those things which 
were spoken of him. And Simeon 
blessed them, and said unto Mary 
his mother, Behold, this child is 
set for the fall and rising again of 
many in Israel ; and for a sign 
which shall be spoken against ; 
(yea, a sword shall pierce through 
thine own soul also), that the 




Megffi 



THY SERVANT DEPART 



mar 



& 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



455 




thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, 
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of 
Aser: she was of a great age, and had 
lived with an husband seven years from her 
virginity; and she was a widow of about 
fourscore and four years, which departed 
not from the temple, but served God with 
fastings and prayers night and day. And 
she coming in that instant gave thanks like- 
wise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all 
them that looked for redemption in Jeru- 
salem. 



THE WISE MEN OF THE EAST. 

NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem 
of Judea in the days of Herod the king, 
behold, there came wise men from the 
east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is 
born King of the Jews ? for we have seen his 
star in the east, and are come to worship him. 
When Herod the king had heard these things, 
he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 
And when he had gathered all the chief priests 



456 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ 
should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea : 
for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land 
of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda : for out of thee 
shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired 
of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to 
Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child ; 
and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come 
and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; 
and, lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it 
came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the 
star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 

The Angel of the Lord Appears to Joseph. 

And when they were come into the house they saw the young 
child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him : and 
when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts ; 
gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a 
dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their 
own country another way. And when they departed, behold, the 
angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and 
take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou 
there until I bring thee word : for Herod will seek the young child to 
destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother 
by night, and departed into Egypt : and was there until the death of 
Herod : that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the 
prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, 
was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that 
were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two. years old 
and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of 
the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy 
the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



457 




THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 




THE DEATH OF THE CHILDREN OF BETHLEHEM. 



458 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, 
and would not be comforted, because they are not. 

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth 
in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young 
child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel : for they are dead 
which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the 
young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But 
when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his 
father Herod, he was afraid to go thither : notwithstanding, being 
warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee : 
and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth : that it might be 
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a 
Nazarene. 

CHRIST FOUND IN THE TEMPLE. 

AND the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with 
wisdom : and the grace of God was upon him. Now his 
parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the pass- 
over. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem 
after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, 
as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem ; and 
Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to 
have been in the company, went a day's journey ; and they sought 
him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found 
him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him, and it 
came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, 
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking 
them questions. 

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and 
answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed : and his 
mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us ? behold, 
thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, 
How is it that ye sought me ? know ye not that I must be about my 
Father's business ? And they understood not the saying which he 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



459 







THEY SOUGHT HIM AMONG: THEIR K8NSFOI-K AND ACQUAINTANCE 







H^ that Light. 



spake unto them. And he went down with 
them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject 
unto them : but his mother kept all these say- 
ings in her heart. And Jesus increased in 
wisdom and stature, and in favor with God 
and man. 

There was a man sent from God, whose 
name was John. The same came for a wit- 
ness, to bear witness of the Light, that all 
men through him might believe. He was not 
that Light, but was sent to bear witness of 
That was the true Light, which 
lightcth every man that cometh 
into the world. He was in the 
world, and the world was made by 
him. and the world knew him not. 
He came unto his own, and his 
own received him not. 

But as many as received him, to 
them gave he power to become the 
sons of God, even to them that 
believe on his name: which were 
born, not of blood, nor of the will 
of the flesh, nor of the will 
of man, but of God, And 




460 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his 
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace 
and truth. 

JOHN BAPTIZES JESUS. 

IN the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate 
being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, 
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God 
came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he 
came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of 
repentance for the remission of sins ; as it is written in the book of 
the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the 
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought 
low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall 
be made smooth ; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of 
him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the 
wrath to come ? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, 
and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our 
father : for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise 
up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the 
root of the trees : every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good 
fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then ? He 
answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart 
to him that hath none ; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 
Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, 
what shall we do ? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that 
which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, 
saying, And what shall we do ? And he said unto them, Do violence 
to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. 

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their 
hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not ; John answered, 




THE RICH MAN AND LAZARU; 




CHRIST PREACHING TO THE MULTITUDE. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY 



401 



L^ 



lliSli23ic 



*>* 



I2£ 



saying unto them all, I indeed 
baptize you with water ; but 
one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of 
whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose : he 
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fiie : 
whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly 
purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his 
garner ; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquench- 
able. And many other things in his exhortation 
preached he unto the people. 

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto 
John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, 
saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest 
thou to me? And Jesus answering, said unto him, 
Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to 
fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And 
Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight- 
way out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were 



iwii 



^fcfe^li 



Tree which Irrifiqeflv 



WL 



,jf£orHi q^ 



m 



Nf 



462 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




T/i£K CAME ALSO 
J>UBLICAhlS 




opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of 
God descending like a dove, and lighting 
upon him : and, lo, a voice from heaven, 
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I 
am well pleased. And Jesus himself began 
to be about thirty years of age. 

THE DISCIPLES CALLED. 

THESE things were done in Bethabara 
beyond Jordan, where John was bap- 
tizing. The next day John seeth Jesus 
coming unto him, and saith, Behold the 
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of 
the world. This is he of whom I said, After 
me cometh a man which is preferred before 
me. And I knew him not: but that he 
should be made manifest to Israel, therefore 
am I come baptizing with water. And John 
bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descend- 
ing from heaven like a dove, and it abode 
upon him. And I knew him not: but he 
that sent me to baptize with water, the same 
said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see 
the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, 
the same is he which baptizeth with the 
Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record 
that this is the Son of God. 

Again the next day after John stood, and 
two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus 
as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of 
God ! And the two disciples heard him speak, 
and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 4G3 

and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They 
said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) 
where dwellest thou ? He saith unto them, Come and see. They 
came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day : for it 
was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, 
and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first 
findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found 
the Messias (which is, being interpreted, the Christ). And he brought 
him to Jesus. 

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth 
Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, 
the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith 
unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the 
prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And 
Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of 
Nazareth ? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an 
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile ! Nathaniel saith unto him, 
Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, 
Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I 
saw thee. Nathaniel answered and saith unto him, Master, thou art 
the Son of God ; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and 
said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, 
believest thou ? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he 
saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see 
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon 
the Son of man. 

THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. 

~TESUS being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was 
led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted 
J of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing : and when 
they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto 
him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made 




464 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 465 

bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man 
shall not live by bread alone, but by the very word of God. And 
the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all 
the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said 
unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them : for 
that is delivered unto me ; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If 
thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: 
for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on 
a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of 
God, cast thyself down from hence : for it is written, He shall give 
his angels charge over thee, to keep thee : and in their hands they 
shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 
And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt 
the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the tempta- 
tion, he departed from him for a season. 

THE FIRST MIRACLE. 

AND the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee ; and 
the mother of Jesus was there : and both Jesus was called, and 
his disciples to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, 
the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith 
unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet 
come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto 
you, do it. 

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner 
of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled 
them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and 
bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made 
wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew 
the water knew ;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 



466 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good 
wine ; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse ; 
but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of 
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory ; 
and his disciples believed on him. 

After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and 
his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many 




THE MIRACLE IN CANA OF GALILEE. 

days. And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to 
Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep 
and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when he had 
made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, 
and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, 
and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, 
Take these things hence ; make not my Father's house an house of 
merchandise. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



467 



And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine 
house hath eaten me up. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, 
What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things ? 
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three 
days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was 
this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days ? But 
he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen 




JESUS DRIVES OUT THE MONEY-CHANGERS. 

from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto 
them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus 
had said. 

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, 
many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all 
men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew 
what was in man. 



468 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

NICODEMUS COMES TO JESUS BY NIGHT. 

THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler 
of the Jews; the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto 
him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: 
for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with 
him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old ? 
can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born 
of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 
That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the 
Spirit is spirit. 

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind 
bloweth where it willeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst 
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one that 
is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How 
can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a 
master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say 
unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; 
and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, 
and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly 
things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came 
down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must 
the Son of man be lifted up : That whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that 
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into 
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him 
might be saved. 

He that. believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth 
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name 







■-:■*•:.:;.. 





IP^j 



THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. 




THE BOYHOOD OF CHRIST. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 469 

of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that 
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, 
because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth 
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be 
made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 

After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of 
Judaea ; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John 
also was baptizing in ^Enon near to Salim, because there was much 
water there : and they came, and were baptized. For John was not 
yet cast into prison. 

THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 

T THEN therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard 
Wi that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 
(though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples), he left 
Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go 
through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is 
called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his 
son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being 
wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well : and it was about the 
sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water : 
Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone 
away unto the city to buy meat.) 

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, 
being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria : for 
the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and 
said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that 
saith to thee, Give me to drink ; thou vvouldest have asked of him, 
and he would have given thee living water. 

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, 
and the well is deep : from whence then hast thou that living water ? 
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and 
drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle ? Jesus 



470 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall 
thirst again : but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give 
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give -him shall be in 
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst 
not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus said unto her, Go, call thy 
husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have 
no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no 
husband : for thou hast had five husbands ; and he whom thou now 
hast is not thy husband : in that saidst thou truly. The woman 
saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers 
worshipped in this mountain ; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the 
place where men ought to worship. 

True Worship is of the Heart. 

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when 
ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the 
Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: 
for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when 
the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth : 
for the father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: and they 
that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is 
called Christ: when he is come he will tell us all things. Jesus saith 
unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. 

And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked 
with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why 
talkest thou with her? The woman then left her water-pot, and 
went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, 
which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 
Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 

In the meanwhile his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 
But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 
Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



471 



him ought to cat ? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will 
of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are 
yet four months, and then cometh harvest ? behold, I say unto you, 
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields ; for they are white already 
to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth 
fruit unto life eternal : that both he that soweth and he that reapeth 
may rejoice together. And, herein is that saying true, One soweth 




THE SEA OF GALILEE. 

and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed 
no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors. 

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the say- 
ing of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So 
when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he 
would tarry with them : and he abode there two days. And many more 
believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now 
we believe, not because of thy saying : for we have heard him ourselves, 
and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. 



472 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

THE NOBLEMAN'S SON. 

NOW after two days he departed thence, and. went into Galilee. 
For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet had no honor in his 
own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Gali- 
leans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem 
at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again 
into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. 

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Caper- 
naum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, 
he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and 
heal his son : for he was at the point of death. 

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will 
not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my 
child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And 
the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he 
went his way. 

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told 
him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour 
when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the 
seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the 
same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth : and 
himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second 
miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee. 
And there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 

JESUS PREACHES AT NAZARETH. 

AND he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up : and 
as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath 
day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto 
him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the 
book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord 
is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



473 



poor ; he hath sent mc to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliver- 
ance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at 
liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the 
Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, 
and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue 
were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is 
this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 

And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words 







THE WELL OR FOUNTAIN AT NAZARETH. 

which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph s 
son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, 
Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, 
do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily, I say unto you, 
No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, 
many widows were in Israel -in the days of Elias, w r hen the heaven was 
shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout 
all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, 
a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers 



474 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet ; and none of them 
was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard, these things, were 
filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led 
him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they 
might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst 
of them went his way. 

THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. 

AND it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to 
hear the word of God, he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 
and saw two ships standing by the lake : but the fishermen 
were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered 
into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he 
would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught 
the people out of the ship. 

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out 
into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon 
answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and 
have taken nothing : nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 
And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of 
fishes : and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, 
which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. 

And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to 
sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 
Depart from me ; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was 
astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes 
which they had taken. 

JESUS HEALS THE SICK. 

AND they went into Capernaum ; and straightway on the sabbath 
day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they 
were astonished at his doctrine : for he taught them as one 
that had authority, and not as the scribes. And there was in their 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



475 



synagogue a man with an unclean spirit ; and he cried out, saying, 
Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? 
art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy 
One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and 
come out of him. 

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud 
voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch 
that they questioned among themselves, saying, what thing is this ? 




JESUS HEALING THE SICK. 

what new doctrine is this ? for with authority commandeth he even 
the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame 
spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee. 

And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they 
entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him 
of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; 
and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 



476 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 







i ^y, 




They went 

UP ON THE 
HOUj^ETop 



^^^S;CZI^J^j^^ . 



JBRoUWJJMABeD 
%\AW That wA£ 
— - — PAL£ICJ) 



And at even, when the sun did set, they brought 
unto him all that were diseased, and them that 
were possessed with devils. And all the city- 
was gathered together at the door. 

And he healed many that were sick of divers 
diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered 
not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 
And in the morning, rising up a great while 
before day, he went out, and departed into a 
solitary place, and there prayed. And Simon 
and they that were with him followed after him. 
And when they had found him, they said unto 
him, All men seek for thee. And he said unto 
them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may 
preach there also : for therefore came I forth. 
And he preached in their synagogues through- 
out all Galilee, and cast out devils. 
And there came a leper to him, be- 
seeching him, and kneeling down 
to him, and saying unto him, If 
thou wilt, thou canst make me 
clean. And Jesus, moved with 





CHRIST AND THE SISTERS OF BETHANY, 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 477 

compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, 
I will ; be thou clean. 

And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed 
from him, and he was cleansed. And he straitly charged him, and 
forthwith sent him away ; and saith unto him, See thou say nothing 
to any man : but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for 
thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony 
unto them. But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to 
blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly 
enter into the city, but was without in desert places : and they came 
to him from every quarter. 

The Man who was Sick of the Palsy. 

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days ; and it 
was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were 
gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, 
no, not so much as about the door : and he preached the word unto 
them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, 
which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto 
him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was : and when 
they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the 
palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the 
palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there were certain of the 
scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man 
thus speak blasphemies ? who can forgive sins but God only? 

And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so 
reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these 
things in your hearts ? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the 
palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee ; or to say, Arise, and take up thy 
bed, and walk ? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath 
power on earth to forgive sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), I say 
unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine 
house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth. 

And he went forth again by the sea side ; and all the multitude 



478 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he 
saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said 
unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. 

THE POOL OF BETHESDA. 

AFTER this there was a feast of the Jews ; and Jesus went up to 
Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a 
pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having 
five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of 
blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an 
angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the 
water : whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped iri 
was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 

And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and 
eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been 
now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made 
whole ? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when 
the water is troubled, to put me into the pool, but while I am 
coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, 
Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was 
made whole, and took up his bed, and walked : and on the same day 
was the sabbath. 

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath 
day : it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, 
He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, 
and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto 
thee, Take up thy bed, and walk ? And he that was healed wist not 
who it was : for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being 
in that place. 

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, 
Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more, lest a worse thing come 
unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, 
which had made him whole. 

And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 479 

because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus 
answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore 
the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken 
the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself 
equal with God. 

The Teaching Concerning the Father and the Son. 

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father 
do : for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son like- 
wise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things 
that himself doeth : and he will show him greater works than these, 
that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and 
quickeneth them ; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For 
the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the 
Son : that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the 
Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which 
hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my 
word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and 
shall not come into condemnation : but is passed from death unto life. 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when 
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear 
shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to 
the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to 
execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 

Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in which all that are in 
the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they that have 
done good, unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, 
unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do noth- 
ing : as I hear, I judge : and my judgment is just ; because I seek not 
mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 

If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another 
which beareth witness of me ; and I know that the witness which he 
witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness 



480 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man : but these 
things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining 
light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I 
have greater witness than that of John : for the works which the 
Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness 
of me, that the Father hath sent me. 

And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of 
me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 
And ye have not his word abiding in you : for whom he hath sent, 
him ye believe not. 

Search the scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have eternal life : and 
they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me that 
ye might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, 
that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's 
name, and ye receive me not : if another shall come in his own name, 
him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honor one of 
another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only ? Do 
not think that I will accuse you to the Father : there is one that 
accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed 
Moses, ye would have believed me : for he wrote of me. But if ye 
believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words ? 

JESUS HEALS ON THE SABBATH DAY. 

AT that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn ; 
and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears 
of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said 
unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon 
the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what 
David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him ; 
how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, 
which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with 
him, but only for the priests ? Or have ye not read in the law, how 
that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, 
and are blameless ? But I say unto you, That in this place is one 




3J 



481 



482 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

greater than the temple. But, if ye had known what this meaneth, I 
will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the 
guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 

And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue : 
And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And 
they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day ? that 
they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall 
there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit 
on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out ? How 
much then is a man better than a sheep ? Wherefore it is lawful to do 
well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth 
thine hand. And he stretched it forth ; and it was restored whole, 
like as the other. 

Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how 
they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew him- 
self from thence : and great multitudes followed him, and he healed 
them all ; and charged them that they should not make him known : 
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, 
saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen ; my beloved, in 
whom my soul is well pleased : I will put my spirit upon him, and he 
shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry ; 
neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed 
shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send 
forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. 



THE APOSTLES CALLED. 

AND it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a moun- 
tain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And 
when it was day, he called unto him his disciples : and of them 
he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles ; Simon (whom he also 
named Peter), and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and 
Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and 
Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas 
Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 483 

And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the 
company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all 
Judaea and Jerusalem, and from. the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which 
came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases ; and they that 
were vexed with unclean spirits : and they were healed. There 
went virtue out of him, and healed the multitude. 

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT 

AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain : and 
when he was set, his disciples came unto him : and he opened 
his mouth and taught them, saying, 

Blessed are the poor in spirit : for their's is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek : for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness : 
for they shall be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called the children 
of God. 

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake : for 
their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall 
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against 
you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great is 
your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets which 
were before you. 

Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost his savour, 
wherewith shall it be salted ? it is henceforth good for nothing, but to 
be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light 
of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do 
men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick : 
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so 
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify 
your Father which is in heaven. 



484 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets : I 
am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, 
Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass 
from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break 
one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall 
be called the least in the kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall do 
and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of 
heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall 
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no 
case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Warning Against Anger. 

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not 
kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but 
I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without 
a cause shall be in danger of the judgment : and whosoever shall say 
to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council : but whosoever 
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou 
bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother 
hath ought against thee ; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go 
thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer 
thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the 
way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the 
judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into 
prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out 
thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, 
Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shall perform unto the Lord thine 
oaths : but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for 
it is God's throne ; nor by the earth ; for it is his footstool : neither by 
Jerusalem ; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou 
swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or 
black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea ; Nay, nay : for 
whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 




485 



486 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a 
tooth for a tooth : but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil : but 
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn tb him the other 
also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy 
coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee 
to go a mile, go with him two. Give to him that asketh thee, and 
from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, 
and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless 
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ; that ye may be 
the children of your Father which is in heaven : for he maketh his sun 
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on 
the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have 
ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your 
brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the publi- 
cans so ? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in 
heaven is perfect. 

How Alms Should be Given. 

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them : 
otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before 
thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that 
they may have glory of men. Verily, I say unto you, They have 
their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know 
what thy right hand doeth : that thine alms may be in secret : and thy 
Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And 
when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are : for they 
love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the 
streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They 
have their reward. 

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou 
hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 487 

Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye 
pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do : for they think that 
they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like 
unto them : for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, 
before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: 

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy 
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give 
us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive 
our debtors. And lead us not into temptaticn, but deliver us from 
evil : For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. 
Amen. 

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will 
also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither 
will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Riches that Never Perish. 

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and 
dust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal ; but 
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust 
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal : for 
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light 
of the body is the eye : if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole 
body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body 
shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be 
darkness, how great is that darkness ! 

No man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and 
love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. 
Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take 
no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor 
yet for your body what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than 
meat, and the body than raiment ? Behold the fowls of the air : for 
they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your 
heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 



4&8 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

And why take ye thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the 
field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: artd yet I 
say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like 
one of these. 

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, 
and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe 
you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What 
shall we eat ? or, What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we be 
clothed ? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your 
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But 
seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness ; and all these 
things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the 
morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. 
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Hypocrisy and Unjust Judgment. 

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye 
judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye measure, it shall 
be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that 
is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine 
own eye ? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the 
mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye ; and then 
shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote of thy brother's eye. 

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your 
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn 
again and rend you. 

Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and 
it shall be opened unto you; for every one that asketh receiveth; and 
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give 
him a stone ? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent ? If ye 
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, 
how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 489 

to them that ask him ? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that 
men should do to you, do ye even so to them : for this is the law and 
the prophets. 

Enter ye in at the strait gate : for wide is the gate, and broad is the 
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in 
thereat : because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which 
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, 
but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their 
fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ? Even 
so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit ; but a corrupt tree 
bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, 
neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that 
bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

The Two Houses. 

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that 
said unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; 
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many 
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy 
name ? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name done 
many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never 
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, 
I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock : 
and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and 
beat upon that house ; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them 
not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon 
the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds 
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the 
people were astonished at his doctrine : for he taught them as one 
having authority, and not as the scribes. 



490 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



THE CENTURION'S SERVANT AND THE 
WIDOW'S SON. 

NOW when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the 
people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's 
servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 
And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, 
beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when 




CHRIST RAISES THE WIDOW S SON. 

they came to Jesus they besought him earnestly, saying, That he was 
worthy for whom he should do this : for he loveth our nation, and he 
hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. 

And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent 
friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am 
not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: wherefore 
neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee : but say in a 
word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



491 




'HE FOOLISH RICH MAN. 



g under me 



(JWIUSAY. • • 




under authority, havin 
soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, 
and he goeth ; and to another, 
Come, and he cometh; and to my 
servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 
When Jesus heard these things, 
he marvelled at him, and turned 
him about, and said unto the people 
that followed him, I say unto you, 
I have not found so great faith, no, 
not in Israel. And they that were 
sent, returning to the house, found the ser- 
vant whole that had been sick. 

And it came to pass the day after, that 
he went into a city called Nain ; and many 
of his disciples went with him, and much 
people. Now when he came nigh to the 
gate of the city, behold, there was a dead 
man carried out, the only son of his mother, 
and she was a widow: and much people of 
the city was with her. And when the Lord 
saw her, he had compassion on her, and said 
unto her, Weep not. And he came and 
touched the bier: and they that bare him 
stood still. And he said, Young man, I 
say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead 
sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered 

tf^ cared .not for©@ip, ofcYkePoot^; 

AND CAVE NO THOUGHT TO DEATH. 



492 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

him to his mother. And there came a fear on all : and they glorified 
God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up amongst us ; and, That 
God hath visited his people. And this rumor of him went forth 
throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. , 

And he spake a parable, saying, The ground of a certain rich man 
brought forth plentifully : and he thought within himself, saying, 
What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my 
fruits ? And he said, This will I do : I will pull down my barns 
and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for 
many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be 
required of thee : then whose shall those things be, which thou hast 
provided ? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not 
rich toward God. 

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. 

ON a certain day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea 
side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, 
so that he went into a ship, and sat : and the whole multitude 
stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in 
parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he 
sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and 
devoured them up : some fell upon stony places, where they had 
not much earth : and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no 
deepness of earth : and when the sun was up, they were scorched ; 
and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell 
among thorns ; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them : but 
other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred- 
fold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let 
him hear. 

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou 
unto them in parables ? He answered and said unto them, Because 
it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, 




493 



494 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be 
given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, 
from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak 
I to them in parables : because they seeing see not ; and hearing 
they hear not, neither do they understand. 

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By 
hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall 
see, and shall not perceive : for this people's heart is waxed gross, 
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed ; 
lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their 
ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be con- 
verted; and I should heal them. 

But blessed are your eyes, for they see : and your ears, for they 
hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous 





Among* -|jhorn£ 
&ood (^oUnp. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 495 

men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen 
them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard 
them. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth 
it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was 
sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that 
heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet he hath not root 
in himself, but dureth for a while ; for when tribulation or persecution 
anseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the 
word ; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, 
choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received 
seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and under- 
standeth it ; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an 
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

THE TARES, THE MUSTARD SEED, ETC. 

ANOTHER parable put he forth unto them saying, The kingdom 
of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in 
his field : but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed 
tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was 
sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So 
the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not 
thou sow good seed in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares ? 
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said 
unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ? But he 
said, Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the 
wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in 
the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first 
the tares, and bind them- in bundles to burn them : but gather the 
wheat into my barn. 

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom 
of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, 



496 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



and sowed in his field : which indeed is the least of all seeds : but 
when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometft a 




SOWING THE GOOD SEED. 

tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches 
thereof. 

Another parable spake he unto them ; The kingdom of heaven is 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 497 

like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of 
meal, till the whole was leavened. 

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house : and 
his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the 
tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth 
the good seed is the Son of man ; the field is the world ; the good 
seed are the children of the kingdom : but the tares are the children 
of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the 
harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers are the angels. As 
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire ; so shall it 
be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his 
angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, 
and them which do iniquity ; and shall cast them into a furnace of 
fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the 
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who 
hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

The Treasure Hidden in the Field. 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field ; 
the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth 
and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the king- 
dom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls : 
who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all 
that he had, and bought it. Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto 
a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind : which, 
when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the 
good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of 
the world : the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from 
among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire. 

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things ? They 
say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every 
scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto 
a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure 
things new and old. 
32 



498 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, 
he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, 
he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were aston- 
ished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty 




JESUS OF NAZARETH. 

works ? Is not this the carpenter's son ? is not his mother called 
Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 
And his sisters, are they not all with us ? Whence then hath this 
man all these things ? And they were offended in him. But Jesus 
said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 499 

country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works 
there because of their unbelief. 

JESUS CALMS THE STORM. 

AND the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, 
Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had 
sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the 
ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there 
arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that 
it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on 
a pillow : and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou 
not that we perish ? 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, 
be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he 
said unto them, Why are ye so fearful ? how is it that ye have no 
faith ? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What 
manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him. 

THE HERD OF SWINE. 

T T"HEN he was come to the other side into the country of the 
Wi Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming 
out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass 
by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do 
with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? art thou come hither to torment 
us before the time ? And there was a good way off from them an 
herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If 
thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he 
said unto them, Go. 

And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine : 
and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place 
into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them 
fled, and went their ways into the city, and told everything, and what 
was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And the whole city came 
out to meet Jesus : and besought him to depart out of their coasts. 



500 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS. 

AND when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other 
side, much people gathered unto him : and he was nigh unto 
the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the 
synagogue, Jairus by name ; and when he saw him he fell at his feet, 
and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point 




CHRIST RAISES THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS. 

of death : I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may 
be healed ; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him ; and much 
people followed him, and thronged him. 

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 
and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all 
that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when 
she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his 
garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be 
whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. SOI 

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone 
out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my 
clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude 
thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked 
round about to see her that had done this thing. 

But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what w r as done in 
her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And 
he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in 
peace, and be whole of thy plague. 

While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's 
house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead : why troublest thou 
the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was 
spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only 
believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter and 
James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house 
of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that 
wept and wailed greatly. 

And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this 
ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they 
laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh 
the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with 
him, and entered in where the damsel was lying. And he took the 
damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi ; which is, being 
interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the 
damsel arose, and walked ; for she was of the age of twelve years. 
And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged 
them straitly that no man should know it ; and commanded that some- 
thing should be given her to eat. 

MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES. 

AND he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power 
and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he 
sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 
And they departed, and went through the towns, and preached the 



502 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

gospel, and healing every where. At that time Jesus answered and 
said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou 
hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed 
them unto babes. Even so, Father : for so it seemed good in thy sight. 

Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am 
meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For 
my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

And the apostles, when they returned, told him all that they had 
done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place 
belonging to the city called Bethsaida. And the people when they 
knew it, followed him : and he received them, and spake unto them of 
the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. And 
when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said 
unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns 
and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals : for we are here 
in a desert place. 

But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We 
have no more than five loaves and two fishes ; except we should go 
and buy meat for all this people. For they were about five thousand 
men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a 
company. And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then he 
took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he 
blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the 
multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled : and there was taken 
up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. 

JESUS WALKS ON THE SEA. 

STRAIGHTWAY Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a 
ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent 
the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes 
away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the even- 
ing was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the 
midst of the sea, tossed with waves : for the wind was contrary. And 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



503 



in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them walking on the 
sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were 
troubled, saying, It is a spirit ; and they cried out for fear. But 
straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer : it is I ; 
be not afraid. 

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come 
unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was 
come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 




JESUS SUPPORTS THE SINKING PETER. 

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid ; and beginning 
to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus 
stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou 
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ? And when they were 
come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship 
came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. 
And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Genne- 
saret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they 



504 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all 
that were diseased ; and besought him that they might only touch the 
hem of his garment : and as many as touched were made perfectly 
whole. 

THE BREAD OF LIFE. 

THE day following, when the people which stood on the other side 
of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that 
one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went 
not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone 
away alone ; when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, 
neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, 
seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side 
of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when earnest thou hither ? 
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek 
me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the 
loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but 
for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of 
man shall give unto you : for him hath God the Father sealed. 

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work 
the works of God ? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the 
work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said 
therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, 
and believe thee ? what dost thou work ? Our fathers did eat manna 
in the desert ; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave 
you not that bread from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true 
bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down 
from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto 
him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to 
me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 
But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and him that cometh 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 505 

to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not 
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the 
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me 
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth 
the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will 
raise him up at the last day. 

The Living Bread from Heaven. 

The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread 
which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the 
son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that 
he saith, I came down from heaven ? Jesus therefore answered and 
said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come 
to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him : and I will 
raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they 
shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and 
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath 
seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath ever- 
lasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in 
the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down 
from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the 
living bread which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this 
bread, he shall live for ever : and the bread that I will give is my flesh, 
which I will give for the life of the world. 

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this 
man give us his flesh to eat ? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and 
drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, 
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up at 
the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink 
indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in 
me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by 



506 



the new testament story. 




—mm 



the Father : so he that eateth me even he 
shall live by me. This is -that bread which 
came down from heaven : not as your fathers 
did eat manna, and are dead : he that eateth 
of this bread shall live for ever. 

These things said he in the synagogue, as 
he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of 
his disciples, when they had heard this, said, 
This is an hard saying, who can hear it? 
When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples 
murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this 
offend you ? What and if ye shall see the 
Son of man ascend up where he was before ? 
It is the spirit that maketh alive ; the flesh 
profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto 
you, they are spirit, and they are life. But 
there are some of you that believe not. 
For Jesus knew from the beginning who 
they were that believed not, and who 
should betray him. And he said, there- 
fore said I unto you, that no man can 
come unto me, except it were 
$ given unto him of my Father. 

^y f From that time many of his 

disciples went back, and walked 
no more with him. Then 
said Jesus unto the 
twelve, Will ye also go 
away? Then Simon 
Peter answered him, 
Lord, to whom shall we 
go? thou hast the words 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 507 

of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, 
the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen 
you twelve, and one of you is a devil ? He spake of Judas Iscariot 
the son of Simon : for he it was that should betray him, being one 
of the twelve. 

From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how 
that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders 
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the 
third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, 
Be it far from the Lord : this shall not be unto thee. 

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: 
thou art an offense unto me : for thou savorest not the things that be 
of God, but those that be of men. 

THE GREEK WOMAN. 

AND from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and 
Sidon and entered into an house, and would have no man 
know it : but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, 
whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came 
and fell at his feet: the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by 
nation : and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out 
of her daughter. 

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled : for it is not 
meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And 
she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord : yet the dogs under the 
table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this 
saying go thy way ; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And 
when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and 
her daughter laid upon the bed. 

And again, departing from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, he came 
unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 
And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment 
in his speech ; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And 
he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, 



503 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

and he spit, and touched his tongue ; and looking up to heaven, he 
sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And 
straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was 
loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should 
tell no man : but the more he charged them, so much the more a 
great deal they published it : and were beyond measure astonished 
saying, he hath done all things well : he maketh both the deaf to 
hear, and the dumb to speak. 

FEEDS THE MULTITUDE A SECOND TIME. 

AND in those days the multitude being very great, and having 
nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith 
unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they 
have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I 
send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the 
way : for several of them came from far. 

And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy 
these men with bread here in the wilderness ? And he asked them, 
How many loaves have ye ? And they said seven. And he com- 
manded the people to sit down on the ground : and he took the seven 
loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set 
before them ; and they did set them before the people. And they 
had a few small fishes : and he blessed, and commanded to set them 
also before them. So they did eat, and were filled ; and they took up 
of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had 
eaten were about four thousand : and he sent them away. 

And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came 
into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and 
began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, 
tempting him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why 
doth this generation seek after a sign ? verily I say unto you, There 
shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and 
entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the 
disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 509 

with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take 
heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of 
Herod. 

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we 
have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why 
reason ye, because ye have no bread ?« perceive ye not yet, neither 
understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see 
ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 
When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets 
full of fragments took ye up ? They say unto him, Twelve. And 
when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of 
fragments took ye up ? And they said, Seven. And he said unto 
them, How is it that ye do not understand ? 

And he cometh to Bethsaida ; and they bring a blind man unto 
him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man 
by the hand, and led him out of the town ; and when he had spit on 
his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that 
he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up : and 
he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away 
to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in 
the town. 

THE TRANSFIGURATION 

AND after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and 
John, and leadeth them up into an high moantain apart by 
themselves : and he was transfigured before them. And his 
raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow ; so as no fuller on 
earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with 
Moses : and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and 
said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here : and let us make 
three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 
For he wist not what to say ; for they were sore afraid. 

And there was a cloud that overshadowed them : and a voice came 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 511 

out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son : hear him. And 
suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any 
more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down 
from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man 
what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the 
dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one 
with another what the rising from the dead should mean. 

The Child With a Dumb Spirit. 

And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about 
them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all 
the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running 
to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question ye 
with them ? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I 
have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and where- 
soever he taketh him, he teareth him : and he foameth, and gnasheth 
with his teeth, and pineth away : and I spake to thy disciples that 
they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, 
and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you ? how 
long shall I suffer you ? bring him unto me. 

And they brought him unto him : and when he saw him, straight- 
way the spirit tare him ; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed 
foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came 
unto him ? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him 
into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him ; but if thou canst do 
any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, 
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And 
straitway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I 
believe ; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people 
came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, 
Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter 
no more into him. 

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him : and 
he was as one dead ; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But 



512 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up ; and he arose. And 
when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, 
Why could not we cast him out ? And he said unto them, This kind 
can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. 

And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee ; and he 
would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, 
and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of 
men, and they shall kill him ; and after that he is killed, he shall rise 
the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid 
to ask him. 

CHRIST TEACHES HUMILITY. 

AT THE same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is 
the greatest of the kingdom of heaven ? And Jesus called a 
little child 'into him, and set him in the midst of them, and 
said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as 
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Who- 
soever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is 
greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one 
such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend 
one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that 
a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in 
the depth of the sea. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little 
ones ; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always 
behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How 
think ye ? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone 
astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the 
mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray ? And if so be that 
he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than 
of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the 
will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones 
should perish. 

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 513 

his fault between thee and him alone : if he shall hear thee, thou hast 
gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee 
one or. two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every 
word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell 
it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be 
unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, 
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and 
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as 
touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my 
Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered 
together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

Parable of the Talents. 

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother 
sin against me, and I forgive him ? till seven times ? Jesus saith unto 
him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times : but, Until seventy times 
seven. 

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, 
which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun 
to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand 
talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded 
him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and 
payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped 
him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 
Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and 
loosed him and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, 
and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him an hundred pence, 
and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay 
me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and 
besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 

And he would not : but went and cast him into prison till he should 
pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they 
were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 




514 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 515 

Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou 
wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; 
shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow servant, even 
as I had pity on thee ? And his lord was wroth and delivered him to 
the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So like- 
wise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your 
hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. 

And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed 
are the eyes which see things that ye see: for I tell you, that many 
prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and 
have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have 
not heard them. 

THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 

AND, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, 
Master, What shall I do to inherit eternal life ? He said unto 
him, What is written in the law ? how readest thou ? And he 
answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and w r ith all thy strength, and with all thy 
mind ; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou 
hast answered right : this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to 
justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusa- 
lem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his 
raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way : and when 
he saw him he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, 
when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on 
the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where 
he was : and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and bound 
up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him upon his own 
beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and 
gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him ; and 




516 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 517 

whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 
Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor unto him that 
fell among the thieves ? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. 
Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 

Mary and Martha of Bethany. 

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain 
village : and a certain woman named Martha received him into her 
house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' 
feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much 
serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my 
sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art 
careful and troubled about many things : but one thing is needful : 
and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away 
from her. 

JEWS' FEAST OF TABERNACLES. 

AFTER these things Jesus walked in Galilee : for he would not 
walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now 
the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren 
therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy 
dsiciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no 
man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be 
known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. 
For neither did his brethren believe in him. 

Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your 
time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you ; but me it hateth, 
because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto 
this feast: I go not up yet into this feast; for my time is not yet come. 
When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. 

But when his brethren were gone up then went he up also unto the 
feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him 
at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring 




518 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 519 

among the people concerning him : for some said, He is a good man : 
others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man 
spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. 

Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, 
and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man 
letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My 
doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his 
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether 
I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: 
but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no 
unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet 
none of you keepeth the law ? Why go ye about to kill me ? 

His Hour was Not Yet Come. 

The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about 
to kill thee ? Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, 
whom they seek to kill ? But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say 
nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very 
Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is : but when Christ 
cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. 

Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know 
me, and ye know whence I am : and I am not come of myself, but he 
that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him : for I am 
from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him : but 
no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. And 
many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, 
will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done ? 

The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things con- 
cerning him : and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to 
take him. Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while am I with 
you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and 
shall not find me : and where I am, thither ye cannot come. Then 
said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not 
find him ? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles ? 



520 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and 
shall not find me : and where I am, thither ye cannot come ? In the 
last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth 
on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of 
living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed 
on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given: because 
that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 

Many of the people, therefore, when they heard this saying, said, 
Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But 
some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture 
said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of 
Bethlehem, where David was ? So there was a division among the 
people because of him. And some of them would have taken him ;" 
but no man laid hands on him. 

Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees ; and 
they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him ? The officers 
answered, never man spake like this man. Then answered them the 
Pharisees, Are ye also deceived ? Have any of the rulers or of the 
Pharisees believed on him ? But this people who knoweth not the 
law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus 
by night, being one of them,) Doth our law judge any man, before it 
hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto 
him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look : for out of Galilee 
ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house. 

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 

JESUS went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning 
he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto 
him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and 
Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when 
they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman 
was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law com- 
manded us, that such should be stoned : but what savest thou ? This 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



521 



they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But 
Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as 
though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he 
lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among 
you, let him first cast a stone at her. 

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they 
which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out 
one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last : and Jesus was 
left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had 




MOUNT OF OLIVES. 

lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, 
Woman, where are those thine accusers ? hath no man condemned 
thee ? She said, No man, Lord, And Jesus said unto her, Neither 
do I condemn thee ; go, and sin no more. 

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the 
world: he that followeth'me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have 
the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest 
record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said 
unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true : 



522 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell 
whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge 
no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, 
but I and the Father that sent me. 

It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 
I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me 
beareth witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where is thy 
Father ? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father : if 
ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. These 
words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple : and 
no man laid hands on him ; for his hour was not yet come. 

"I Am Not of this World." 

And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath ; I am from above : 
ye are of this world ; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto 
you, that ye shall die in your sins : for if ye believe not that I am he, 
ye shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art thou ? 
and Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from 
the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you : but 
he that sent me is true ; and I speak to the world those things which 
I have heard of him. 

They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. Then 
said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then 
shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as 
my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent 
me is with me : the Father hath not left me alone ; for I do always 
those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed 
on him. 

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye 
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ; and ye shall 
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered 
him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: 
how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 523 

servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever : 
but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, 
ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed ; but ye 
seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak 
that which I have seen with my Father : and ye do that which ye 
have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, 
Abraham is our father. 

Children of the Evil One. 

Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do 
the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath 
told you the truth, which I have heard of God : this did not Abraham. 
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We have one 
Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, 
ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; 
neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand 
my speech ? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your 
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a 
murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because 
there was no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of 
his own ; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you 
the truth, ye believe me not. 

Which of you convicteth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why 
do ye not believe me ? He that is of God heareth God's words : ye 
therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered 
the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, 
and hast a devil ? Jesus answered, I have not a devil ; but I honor 
my Father, and ye do dishonor me. And I seek not mine own glory : 
there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then saith the 
Jews unto him, Now we' know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is 
dead and the prophets ; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he 
shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, 
which is dead ? and the prophets are dead : whom maketh thou thyself? 



524 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing : it is my 
Father that honoreth me ; of whom ye say, that he is your God : yet 
ye have not known him ; but I know him : and if I should say, I 
know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you : but I know him, and 
keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day : and 
he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not 
yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham ? Jesus said unto 
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 
Then took they up stones to cast at him : but Jesus hid himself, and 
went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so 
passed by. 

THE MAN BORN BLIND. 

AND as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his 
birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did 
sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind ? Jesus 
answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents : but that the 
works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the 
works of him that sent me, while it is day : the night cometh when no 
man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the 
world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made 
clay of his spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with 
the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is 
by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and 
came seeing. 

The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that 
he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged ? Some said, 
This is he : others said, He is like him : but he said, I am he. There- 
fore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered 
and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine 
eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I 
went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, 
Where is he? He said, I know not. 

They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And 




CHRIST HEALING THE BLIND MAN. 



525 



526 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his 
eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received 
his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I 
washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man 
is not of God; because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, 
How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles ? And there was a 
division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What 
sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes ? He said, He is 
a prophet. 

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, 
and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had 
received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son 
who ye say was born blind ? how then doth he now see ? His parents 
answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was 
born blind ; but by what means he now seeth, we know not ; or who 
hath opened his eyes, we know not : he is of age ; ask him : he shall 
speak for himself. 

"Whereas I was Blind, Now I See." 

These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews : for 
the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was 
Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his 
parents, He is of age : ask him. Then again called they the man 
that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise : we know 
that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a 
sinner or no, I know not : one thing I know, that, whereas I was 
blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? 
how opened he thine eyes ? 

He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear : 
wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples ? Then 
they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple ; but we are Moses' 
disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses : as for this fellow, 
we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto 
them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 527 

whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that 
God heareth not sinners : but if any man be a worshipper of God, and 
doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not 
heard that any man opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If 
this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 

They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in 
sins, and dost thou teach us ? And they cast him out. Jesus heard 
that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto 
him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God ? He answered and said, 
Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him ? And Jesus said unto 
him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 

THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 

YERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the 
door, into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the 
same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the 
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth ; and 
the sheep hear his voice : and he calleth his own sheep by name, and 
leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he 
goeth before them, and the sheep follow him : for they know his 
voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him : 
for they know not the voice of strangers. 

This parable spake Jesus unto them : but they understood not 
what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus 
unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the 
sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers : but 
the sheep did not hear them. I am the door : by me if any man 
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy : I 
am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more 
abundantly. I am the good shepherd ; the good shepherd giveth his 
life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, 
whose own the sheep are not, sceth the wolf coming, and leaveth the 



528 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



AN1© 






sheep, and fleeth ; and 
the wolf catcheth 

them, and scattereth the 

sheep. The hireling fleeth 

because he is an hireling 

and careth not for the sheep. 

I am the good shepherd, and 
know my sheep, and am known of mine. As 
the Father knoweth me, even so know I the 
Father : and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
And other sheep I have, which are not of this 
fold : them also I must bring, and they shall 
hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and 
one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love 
me, because I lay down my life, that I might 
take it again. No man taketh it from me, but 
I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay 
it down, and I have power to take it again. 
This commandment have I received of my 
Father. u r /f / 

There was a division therefore again among ) M |i$& 
the Jews for these sayings. And it was at \ J} 
Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it / i* 
was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple \f^ \ 

1 wiu- J 



lf#l 




u 



529 



530 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and 
said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt ? If thou be 
the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye 
believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear 
witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, 
as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and 
they follow me ; and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall 
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My 
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all ; and no man is able 
to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. 
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered 
them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father ; for 
which of those works do ye stone me ? 

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee 
not ; but for blasphemy ; and because that thou, being a man, makest 
thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I 
said, Ye are gods ? If he called them gods, unto whom the word 
of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken : say ye of him, 
whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou 
blasphemest ; because I said, I am the Son of God ? If I do not the 
works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe 
not me, believe the works : that ye may know, and believe, that the 
Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take 
him : but he escaped out of their hand, and went away again beyond 
Jordan into the place where John at first baptized ; and there he abode. 
And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle ; but all 
things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed 
on him there. 

JESUS RAISES LAZARUS. 

NOW a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the 
town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary 
which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet 
with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 531 

sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but 
for the glory of God; that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and 'Lazarus. 

When he had heard, therefore that he was sick, he abode two days 
still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his 
disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, 
Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee ; and goest thou thither 
again ? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day ? If 
any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the 
light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, 
because there is no light in him. These things said he : and after 
that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth ; but I go, that 
I may awake him out of sleep. 

Four Days in the Grave. 

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit 
Jesus spake of his death : but they thought that he had spoken of 
taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus 
is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the 
intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said 
Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us 
also go, that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, he 
found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 
and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them 
concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that 
Jesus was coming, went and met him : but Mary sat still in the 
house. Then said Maitha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, 
my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever 
thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, 
Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he 
shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto 
her, I am the resurrection, and the life : he that believeth in me, 



532 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

though he were dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever liveth and 
believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this ? 

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord : I believe that thou art the Christ, 
the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she 
had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, 
saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she 
heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was 
not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met 
him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and com- 
forted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went 
out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell 
down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my 
brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and 
the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, 
and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him ? They said unto 
him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold, 
how he loved him ! And some of them said, Could not this man, 
which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man 
should not have died ? 

Jesus Cried with a Loud Voice. 

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It 
was a cave, and stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the 
stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, 
by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus 
saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou 
shouldest see the glory of God ! Then they took away the stone from 
the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and 
said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that 
thou hearest me always ; but because of the people which stand by, I 
said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he 
thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave- 




533 



534 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

clothes : and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith 
unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which 
came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on 
him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told 
them what things Jesus had done. 

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and 
said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him 
thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come 
and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named 
Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye 
know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one 
man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he 
prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation ; and not for that 
nation only, but that he also should gather together in one the children 
of God that were scattered abroad. Then from that day forth they took 
counsel together for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no 
more openly among the Jews : but went near to the wilderness, into 
a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. 

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand : and many went out of 
the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. 
Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they 
stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast ? 
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command- 
ment that if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that 
they might take him. 

SAYINGS OF CHRIST. 

THERE came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not 
come at him for the throng. And it was told him by certain 
which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, 
desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My 
mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, 
and do it. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



535 



And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him : 
and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw 
it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the 
Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of 
the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and 
wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without 
make that which is within also ? But rather give alms of such things 
as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. But woe 
unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of 




WASHING BEFORE AND AFTER MEALS, 

herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God : these ought ye 
to have done, and not to leave the other outdone. Woe unto you, 
Pharisees ! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and 
greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, 
hypocrites ! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that 
walk over them are not aware of them. 

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus 
saying thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, 
ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and 
ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe 



536 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

unto you ! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers 
killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your 
fathers : for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and 
apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute : that the blood 
of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, 
may be required of this generation ; from the blood of Abel unto the 
blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple : 
verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe 
unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye 
entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. 

The Leaven of the Pharisees. 

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees 
began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many 
things: laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of 
his mouth, that they might accuse him. 

When there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of 
people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say 
unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, 
which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be 
revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever 
ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light : and that 
which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon 
the housetops. 

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the 
body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will fore- 
warn you whom ye shall fear : Fear him, which after he hath killed 
hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not 
five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten 
before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 
Fear not therefore : ye are of more value than many sparrows. 

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him 
shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God : but he 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



bSt 



that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be 
forgiven him : but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost 
it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the syna- 
gogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or 
what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say : for the Holy Ghost 
shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 

Blessed are They who Watch. 

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning ; and ye 
yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return 
from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may 
open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the 
lord when he cometh shall find watching : verily I say unto you, that 
he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will 
come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second 
watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those 
servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had 
known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and 
not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore 
ready also : for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us. 
or even to all ? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and 
wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to 
give them their portion of meat in due season ? Blessed is that 
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a 
truth I say unto you that he will make him ruler over all that he 
hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his 
coming : and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and 
to eat and drink, and to be drunken : the lord of that servant will 
come in a day when he looked not for him, and at an hour when he 
is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his 
portion with the unbelievers. 

And that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not 



m 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




himself, neither did according to his will, 
shall be beaten with many stripes. But 
he that knew not, and did commit things 
worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with 
few stripes. For unto whomsoever much 
is given, of him shall be much required : 
and to whom men have committed much, 
of him they will ask the more. 

He spake also this parable : A certain 
man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard ; 
and he came and sought fruit thereon, 
and found none. Then said he unto the 
dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three 
years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, 
and find none : cut it down ; why cum- 
bereth it the ground ? And he answer- 
ing said unto him, Lord, let it alone this 
year also, till I shall dig about it, and 
dung it : and if it bear fruit, well ; and if 
not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. 
And he was teaching in one of the 
synagogues on the sabbath. And, be- 
hold, there was a woman which had a 
spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was 
bowed together, and could in no wise lift 
up herself. And when Jesus saw her. 
he called her to him, and said unto her, 
Woman, thou art loosed from thine in- 
firmity. And he laid his hands on her: 
and immediately she was made straight, 
and glorified God. And the ruler of the 
synagogue answered with indignation, 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 539 

because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the 
people, There are six days in which men ought to work : in them 
therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 

The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth 
not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from 
the stall, and lead him away to watering ? And ought not this 
woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, 
lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath 
day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were 
ashamed : and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that 
were done by him. 

JESUS LAMENTS OVER JERUSALEM. 

AND he went through the cities and villages, teaching and jour- 
neying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, 
are there few that be saved ? And he said unto them, Strive 
to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, will seek to 
enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house 
is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, 
and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us ; and he 
shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are : then 
shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and 
thou hast taught in our streets. 

But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are ; depart 
from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, 
and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves 
thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, 
and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the 
kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, 
and there are first which shall be last. 

The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, 
Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he 
said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, 



540 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



in mi mm mi 






and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, 
and the third day I shall be perfected. 
Nevertheless I must walk to-day, and 
to-morrow, and the day following : for 
it cannot be that a prophet perish out 
of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 
which killest the prophets, and stonest 
them that are sent unto thee; how 
often would I have gathered thy chil- 
dren together, as a hen doth gather 
her brood under her wings, and ye 
would not ! Behold, your house is left 
unto you desolate: and verily I say unto 
you, Ye shall not see me, until the time 
come when ye shall say, Blessed is he 
that cometh in the name of the Lord. 



%a 



THE PARABLE OF THE 
WEDDING SUPPER. 

AND it came to pass, as he went 
into the house of one of the 
chief Pharisees to eat bread on 
the sabbath day, that they watched him. 



K V/. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 541 

And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the 
dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, 
saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day ? And they held their 
peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go ; and 
answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox 
fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath 
day? And they could not answer him again to these things. 

The Humble shall be Exalted. 

And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he 
marked how they chose out the chief rooms ; saying unto them, When 
thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest 
room ; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him ; and 
he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; 
and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou 
art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room ; that when he that 
bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher : then 
shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with 
thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that 
humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner 
or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, 
nor thy rich neighbors ; lest they also bid thee again, and a recom- 
pense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, 
the maimed, the lame, the blind : and thou shalt be blessed ; for they 
cannot recompense thee : for thou shalt be recompensed at the resur- 
rection of the just. 

And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, 
he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of 
God. Then he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper, 
and bade many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to them 
that were bidden, Come ; for all things are now ready. And they all 
with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I 
have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it : I 



542 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five 

yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them : I pray thee have me excused. 

And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot 




JESUS EATING WITH THE PUBLICANS. 

come. So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. 
Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go 
out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



543 




the poor, and the maimed, and the 
halt, and the blind. And the ser- 
vant said, Lord, it is done as thou 
hast commanded, and yet there is 
room. And the Lord said unto the 
servant, Go out into the highways 
and hedges, and compel them to 
come in, that my house may be 
filled. For I say unto you, That 
none of those men which were 
bidden shall taste of my supper. 

THE PRODIGAL SON. 

THEN drew near unto him all 
the publicans and sinners for 
to hear him. And the Phari- 
sees and scribes murmured, saying, 
This man recciveth sinners, and 
eateth with them. 

And he spake this parable unto 
them, saying, What man of you 
having an hundred sheep, if he lose 
one of them, doth not leave the 
ninety and nine in the wilderness, 
and go after that which is lost until 
he find it ? And when he hath 
found it, he layeth it on his shoul- 
ders, rejoicing. And when he 
cometh home, he calleth together 
his friends and neighbors, saying 
unto them, Rejoice with me; for I 
found my sheep which was lost. I 



544 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




IlBBillBnMm r- 



!!!.:!' 



mrnj 




THE PR.ODI&AL SON. 



say unto you, that likewise joy shall 
be in heaven over one sinner that 
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just 
persons, which need no repentance. 

Either what woman having ten pieces of 
silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a 
candle, and sweep the house, and seek dili- 
gently till she find it ? And when she hath 
found it, she calleth her friends and her 
neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me ; 
for I have found the piece which I had lost. 
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the 
presence of the angels of God over one 
sinner that repenteth. 

And he said, A certain man had two 

sons : and the younger of them said to 

his father, Father, give me the portion 

of goods that falleth to me. And he 

divided unto them his living. And not many 

days after the younger son 




THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



545 



he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land ; and he 
began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of 
that country ; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he 
would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat : 
and no man gave unto him. 

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of 
my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have 




THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON. 

sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be 
called thy son : make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, 
and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his 
father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and 
kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against 
heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put 
it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet : and 
35 



546 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and let us eat and be merry : 
for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. 
And they began to be merry. 

Now his elder son was in the field : and as he came and drew nigh 
to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the 
servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, 
Thy brother is come ; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, 
because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, 
and would not go in ; therefore came his father out and intreated him. 
And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve 
thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment : and yet 
thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends : 
but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living 
with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said 
unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad ; for this thy 
brother was dead, and is- alive again ; and was lost, and is found. 

THE UNJUST STEWARD: THE RICH MAN 
AND LAZARUS. 

HE said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, 
which had a steward ; and the same was accused unto him 
that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said 
unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy 
stewardship ; for thou may est be no longer steward. Then the 
steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh 
away from me the stewardship : I cannot dig ; to beg I am ashamed. 
I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the steward- 
ship, they may receive me into their houses. 

So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said 
unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord ? And he said, 
An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, 
and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And 
how much owest thou ? And he said. An hundred measures of 




547 



548 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy 
bill, and write fourscore: And the lord com- 
mended the unjust steward, because he had 
done wisely; for the children of this world 
are in their generation wiser than the children 
of light. And I say unto you, make to your- 
selves friends of the mammon of unrighteous- 
ness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you 
you into everlasting habitations. He that is 
faithful in that which is least is faithful also 
in much : and he that is unjust in the least 
is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have 
not been faithful in the unrighteous mam- 
mon, who will commit to your trust the true 
riches? And if ye have not been faithful in 
that which is another man's, who shall give 
you that which is your own? 

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, 
heard all these things: and they derided him. 
And he said unto them, Ye are they which 
justify yourselves before men; but God 
knoweth your hearts; for that which is 
highly esteemed among men is abomination 
in the sight of God. 

There was a certain rich man, which was 
clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared 
sumptuously every day: and there was a 








-frh.&y own eac 




THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 549 

certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 
and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's 
table : moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came 
to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into 
Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in 
hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar 
off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father 
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the 
tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in 
this flame. 

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime 
receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now 
he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between 
us and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass 
from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would 
come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that 
thou wouldest send him to my father's house : for I have five brethren ; 
that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of 
torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the 
prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: 
but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he 
said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will 
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 

THANKS AND PRAYER. 

AND it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed 
through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered 
into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, 
which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, 
Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto 
them, Go show yourselves unto the priest. And it came to pass that, 
as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw 
that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 
and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks, and he was a 



550 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? 
but where are the nine? There are not fbunpl that returned to give 
glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go 
thy way : thy faith hath made thee whole. 

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom 
of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of 
God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! 
or, lo there ! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 

"Go not After Them, nor Follow Them." 

And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall 
desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see 
it. And they shall say to you, See here ; or, see there : go not after- 
them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of 
the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven ; 
so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer 
many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in 
the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in 
marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood 
came and destroyed them all. 

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ; they did eat, they drank, 
they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded ; but the same day 
that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, 
and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the 
Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the 
housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it 
away: and he that is in the field, let. him likewise not return back. 
Remember Lot's wife. 

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought 
always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, 
which feared not God, neither regarded man : and there was a widow 
in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine 
adversary. And he would not for awhile : but afterward he said 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 551 

within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man ; yet because 
this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual 
coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust 
judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day 
and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that 
he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man 
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ? 

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves 
that they were righteous, and despised others : two men went up into 
the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The 
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that 
I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as 
this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I pos- 
sess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much 
as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be 
merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house 
justified rather than the other : for every one that exalteth himself 
shall be abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

JESUS BLESSES THE CHILDREN. 

THEY brought young children to Jesus, that he should touch 
them ; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But 
when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, 
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not : for 
of such is the kingdom of God. Verily, I say unto you, Whosoever 
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not 
enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon 
them, and blessed them. 

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running 
and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do 
that I may inherit e.ternal life ? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest 
thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou 
knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, 
Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor thy 



552 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



|jUF£ER J-/ ITTLE (j^ildr-en to comeunto^Ie 



h 
o 

z 

z 

X 

h 

a 

£ 

a! 
o 
u. 

a 
z 
< 



father and mother. And he answered and said 
unto him, Master all these have I observed from 
my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, 
and said unto him, One thing thou lackest : go thy 
way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the 
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and 
come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he 
was sad at that saying, and went away grieved : 
for he had great possessions. 

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto 
his disciples, How hardly shall they that have 
riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the 
disciples were astonished at his words. 
But Jesus answereth again and saith 
unto them, Children, how hard is it 
for them that trust in riches to enter 

into the kingdom of God ! 

It is easier for a camel to 
go through the eye of 




o 

Q 

-n 

(A 

C. 

o 

X 

<s 

X 
PI 



e >'>, 



s» 



^'fo/w* 1 




THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 553 

a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And 
they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who 
then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men 
it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. 
Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have 
followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, 
There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, 
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, 
but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and 
brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with 
persecutions ; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that 
are first shall be last ; and the last first. 

THE LABORERS. 

FOR the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an house- 
holder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers 
into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers 
for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out 
about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market- 
place, and said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and what- 
soever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he 
went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And 
about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, 
and saith unto them, why stand ye here all the day idle ? They say 
unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye 
also into the vineyard ; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his 
steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from 
the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about 
the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the 
first came, they supposed that they should have received more ; and 
they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had 
received it, they murmured against the good man of the house, saying, 
These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them 



554 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




equal unto us, which have borne 
the burden and heat of the day. 
But he answered one of them, 
and said, Friend, I do thee no 
wrong ; didst not thou agree 
with me for a penny? Take 
that thine is, and go thy way ; 
I will give unto this last, even 
as unto thee. Is it not lawful 
for me to do what I will with 
mine own ? 



JESUS GOES UP TO 
JERUSALEM. 

AND they were in the way 
going up to Jerusalem ; 
and Jesus went before 
them : and they were amazed ; 
and as they followed, they were 
afraid. And he took again the 
twelve, and began to tell them what 
things should happen unto him. 
Saying, Behold, we go up to Jeru- 
salem ; and the Son of man shall be 
delivered unto the chief 
priests, and unto the a .ijidkui 
scribes ; and they shall 
condemn him to death, 



MEN. 







THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 555 

and shall deliver him to the Gentiles : and they shall mock him, and 
shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him : and 
the third day he- shall rise again. 

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him, saying, 
Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoe'er we shall 
desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for 
you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that wc may sit, one on 
thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But 
Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask : can ye drink of 
the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am 
baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. 

They who Would be Chief Must be Servants. 

And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I 
drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be 
baptized : but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not 
mine to give ; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 
And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with 
James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, 
Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles 
exercise lordship over them ; and their great ones exercise authority 
upon them. But so shall it not be among you ; but whosoever will 
be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you 
will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man 
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a 
ransom for many. 

And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with 
his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son 
of Timacus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard 
that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, 
thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that 
he should hold his peace ; but he cried the more a great deal, Thou 
son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and com- 
manded him to be called. 



556 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 








~fe^ 




^g^u3c 



9 PK?&fi§ 



l/t 



And they call the blind man, saying unto 
him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 
And he, casting away his garments, rose, and 
came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said 
unto him, What wilt thou that I should do 
unto thee? The blind man said unto him, 
Lord, that I might receive my sight. And 
Jesus said unto him, Go thy way ; thy faith 
hath made thee whole. And immediately 
he received his sight, and followed Jesus in 
the way. 

And behold, there was a man named Zac- 
chseus, which was the chief among the pub- 
licans, and he was rich. And he sought to 
see Jesus who he was ; and could not for 
the press, because he was little of stature. 
And he ran before, and climbed up into a 
sycamore tree to see him : for he was to pass 
that way. And when Jesus came to the 
place, he looked up, and saw him, aud said 
unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come 
down ; for to-day I must abide at thy house. 
And he made haste, and came down, and 
received him joyfully. 

And when they saw it, they all murmured, 
saying, That he was gone to be a guest with 
a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, 
and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



557 




half of my goods I give to 
the poor ; and if I have 
taken anything from any 
man by false accusation, I 
restore him fourfold. And 
Jesus said unto him, this 
day is salvation come to 
this house, forsomuch as he 
also is a son of Abraham. 
For the Son of man is 
come to seek and to save 
that which was lost. 

And when he had thus 
spoken, he went before, ascending up 
to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, 
when he was come nigh to Bethpage 
and Bethany, at the mount called the mount 
of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying, 
Go ye into the village over against you ; in 
the which at your entering ye shall find a colt 
tied, whereon yet never man sat : loose him, 
and bring him hither. And if any man ask 
you, why do you loose him? thus shall ye say 
unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. 
And they that were sent went their way, and 
found even as he had said unto them. And 
as they were loosing the colt, the owners 
thereof said unto them, Why do ye loose the 



558 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY 



colt? And they said, the Lord hath need of him. And they 
brought him to Jesus : and they cast their garments upon the colt, 
and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their 
clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the 
descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples 
began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty 
works that they had seen ; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh 
in the name of the Lord : peace in heaven and glory in the highest. 




CHRIST S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, 
Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, 
I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would 
immediately cry out. 

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 
saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the 
things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine 
eyes. For the day shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 559 

cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in 
on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy 
children within thee ; and they shall not leave thee one stone upon 
another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 

These things understood not his disciples at the first; but when 
Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were 
written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. The 
people therefore that were with him when he called Lazarus out of 
his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this 
cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done 
this miracle. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Per- 
ceive ye how ye prevail nothing ? behold, the world is gone after him. 

THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN. 

AND there were certain Greeks among them that came up to 
worship at the feast : the same came therefore to Philip, which 
was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we 
would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew : and again 
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, 
The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, 
verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground 
and die, it abideth atone : but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 
He that loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this 
world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him 
follow me ; and where I am, there shall also my servant be : if any 
man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; 
and what shall I say ? Father, save me from this hour : but for this 
cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came 
there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will 
glorify it again. 

The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it 
thundered : others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and 
said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now 
is the judgment of this world : now shall the princes of this world be 



560 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men 
unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The 
people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ 
abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be 
lifted up ? who is this Son of man ? 

Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. 
Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you ; for he 
that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye 
have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of 'light. 
These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from 
them. But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet 
they believed not on him : that the saying of Esaias the prophet might 
be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? 

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him : 
but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should 
be put out of the synagogue : for they loved the praise of men more 
than the praise of God. Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on 
me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that 
seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, 
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: 
for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that 
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : 
the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he 
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should 
speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting : what- 
soever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. 

THE BARREN FIG TREE. 

AND he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany ; and he 
lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the 
city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, 
\xe came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 561 

unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And 
presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, 
they marvelled, saying, How soon the fig tree withered away ? Jesus 
answered and said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, If ye have faith, 
and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, 
but, also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be 
thou cast into the sea ; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever 
ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 

Concerning the Baptism of John. 

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the 
elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By 
what authority doest thou these things ? and who gave thee this 
authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask 
you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by 
what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was 
it? from heaven, or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, 
saying, If we shall say, From heaven ; he will say unto us, Why did 
ye not then believe him ? But if we shall say, Of men ; we fear the 
people ; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus 
and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you 
by what authority I do these things. 

But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons ; and he came to 
the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered 
and said, I will not : but afterward he repented, and went. And he 
came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I 
go, sir ; and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his 
father ? They said unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily 
I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom 
of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteous- 
ness, and ye believed him not : but the publicans and the harlots 
believed him : and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, 
that ye might believe him. 

Hear another parable : There was a certain householder, which 
36 



562 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine- 
press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went 
into a far country : and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent 
his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of 
it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed 
another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more 
than the first : and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he 
sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But 
when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This 
is the heir ; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 
And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 
When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto 
those husbandmen ? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy 
those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husband- 
men, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The 
stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the 
corner : this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes ? 
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from 
you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And 
whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken : but on whomso- 
ever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief 
priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he 
spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they 
feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. 

THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST. 

JESUS answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a 
marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that 
were bidden to the wedding : and they would not come. Again, he 
sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, 
I have prepared my dinner : my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and 
all things are ready ' come unto the marriage. But they made light 




563 



564 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise : 
and the remnant took his servants, and treated them spitefully, and 
slew them. 

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth : and he sent forth 
his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which 
were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, 
and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants 
went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as 
they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished 
with guests. 

He Could not Answer the King. 

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man 
which had not on a wedding garment : and he saith unto him, Friend, 
how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment ? And he 
was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand 
and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness ; there 
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but 
few are chosen. 

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle 
him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the 
Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest 
the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man : for thou 
regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest 
thou ? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not ? But Jesus 
perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypo- 
crites ? Show me the tribute-money. And they brought unto him a 
penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and super- 
scription ? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, 
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's ; and unto 
God the things that are God's. 

When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, 
and went their way. But when the Pharisees had heard that he had 
put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one 




xn 
to 

X 
m 

to 

Q 
< 

to 
> 
< 
O 
to 

to 

to 
o 

to 

to 
U 




m 
W 

w 

w 

O 

M 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 565 

of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and 
saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law ? Jesus 
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and 
great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the 
law and the prophets. 

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 
saying, What think ye of Christ ? whose son is he ? They say unto 
him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David 
in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou 
on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool ? If then 
David call him Lord, how is he his son ? And no man was able to 
answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask 
him any more questions. 

THE WIDOW'S MITE. 

"TESUS sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people 
cast money into the treasury : and many that were rich cast in 
J much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in 
two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his dis- 
ciples, and saith unto them, Verily, I say unto you, That this poor 
widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the 
treasury; for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her 
want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Beware of the 
scribes which devour widow's houses, and for a show make long 
prayers : the same shall receive greater damnation. 

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE. 

AND Jesus went out, and departed from the temple : and his 
disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the 
temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these 
things? verily, I say unto you; There shall not be left here one stone 
upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat unon 



566 




THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 567 

the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, 
Tell us, when shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign of thy 
coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said 
unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall 
come in my name, saying, I am Christ ; and shall deceive many. 
And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars : see that ye be not 
troubled : for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not 
yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against 
kingdom : and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earth- 
quakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

When the End will Come. 

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you : 
and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then 
shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate 
one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive 
many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall 
grow cold. But he that shall endure until the end, the same shall be 
saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the 
world for a witness unto all nations ; and then shall the end come. 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of 
heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall 
also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were 
before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving 
in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew 
not until the flood came, and took them all away ; so shall also the 
coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field ; the one 
shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the 
mill ; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore : for 
ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if 
the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would 
come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house 
to be broken up. 

Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the 



568 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom 
his lord had made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due 
season ? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall 
find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler 
over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, 
my lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to smite his fellow- 
servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; the lord of that 
servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an 
hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint 
him his portion with the hypocrites : there shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeth. 

Parable of the Ten Virgins. 

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which 
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five 
of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took 
their lamps, and took no oil with them : but the wise took oil in their 
vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all 
slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, 
the bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet him. Then all those 
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the 
wise, Give us of your oil ; for our lamps are gone out. 

But the wise answered, saying, Not so ; lest there be not enough for 
us and you : but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came ; and they that 
were ready went in with him to the marriage : and the door v/as shut. 
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein 
the Son of man cometh. 

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, 
who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one ; 
to every man according to his several ability ; and straightway took 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



569 



his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and 
traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise 
he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had 
received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 




THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. 

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth 
with them. 

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five 
talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents : behold, I 
have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, 



570 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Well done, thou good and faithful servant : thou hast been faithful 
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou 
into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came 
and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents : behold, I have 
gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well 
done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few 
things, I will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into the 
joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and 
said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou 
has not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed : and I was 
afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth : lo, there thou hast 
that is thine. 

What Became of the Talent that was Hid. 

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful 
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where 
I have not strawed : thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to 
the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine 
own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto 
him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be 
given, and he shall have abundance : but from him that hath not shall 
be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable 
servant into outer darkness : there shall be weeping and gnashing of 
teeth. 

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy 
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory : and 
before him shall be gathered all nations : and he shall separate them 
one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats ; 
and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 
Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world : for I was an hungred, and ye gave me 
meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye 
took me in : naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 571 

me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the 
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, 
and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? when saw we thee a 
stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw 
we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto 
you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my 
brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them 
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels : for I was an hungred, and ye gave 
me no meat : I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink ; I was a stranger, 
and ye took me not in ; naked, and ye clothed me not ; sick, and in 
prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, 
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, 
or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then 
shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye 
did it not to one of the least of these, he did it not to me. And 
these shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous 
into life eternal. 

THE LAST SUPPER. 

TT ND it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, 
j~\ he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the 
feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be 
crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, 
and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who 
was called Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by 
subtilty, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there 
be an uproar among the people. 

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper 
there came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very 
precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But 
when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what pur- 
pose is this waste? for this ointment might have been sold for much 



572 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, 
Why trouble ye the woman ? for she hath wrought a good work upon 
me. For ye have the poor always with you ; but me ye have not 
always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she 



It'w^j «wS^r<i^£vwng mw 



\\fe 



■-■**■'&, 



SUNSET* 






Vfel 



(■■■WIS £• „ « ~ 













did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel 
shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this 
woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. 

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief 
priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver 




m 



^u 



'"■■-'■'■■ .^„ 



*• -i . : 



CHRIST BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN. 




THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 573 

him unto you ? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of 
silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. 

Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples 
came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for 
thee to eat the passover ? And he said, Go into the city to such a 
man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand ; I will 
keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. And the disciples 
did as Jesus had appointed them : and they made ready the passover. 
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it, and brake 
it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat ; this is my body. 
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, 
Drink ye all of it ; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which 
is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I 
will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when 
I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. 

He Washes the Feet of His Disciples. 

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his 
hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the 
Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them 
unto the end. He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments ; 
and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water 
into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them 
with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon 
Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now ; 
but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt 
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou 
hast no part with me. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, not my feet 
only, but also my hands and my head. 

Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his 
feet, but is clean every whit; and ye are clean, but not all. For he 
knew who should betray him ; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 
So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and 




574 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



575 




was set clown again, he said unto them, Know ye 

what I have done to you ? ye call me Master and 

Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I 

\ i then, your Lord and Master, have washed 

tiiliU.I your feet; ye also ought to wash one 

another's feet. For I have given you an 

example, that ye should do as I 

have done to you. Verily, verily, 

I say unto you, the servant is not 

greater than his lord ; neither he 

that is sent greater than he that 

sent him. If ye know these 

things, happy are ye if ye do 

them. 

I speak not of you all : I 

enow whom I have chosen ; but 

that the scripture may be fulfilled, 

He that eateth bread with me 

hath lifted up his heel 

against me. Now I tell 

you before it come, that, 

when it is come to pass 







^fiSio^X 



576 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that 
receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me ; and he that receiveth me 
receiveth him that sent me. When Jesus had thus said, he was 
troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one 
on another, doubting of whom he spake. 

Judas Iscariot, the Son of Simon. 

Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom 
Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask 
who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast 
saith unto him, Lord, who is it ? Jesus answered, He it is to whom I 
shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the 
sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop 
Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do 
quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this 
unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that 
Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against 
the feast ; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then 
having received the sop went immediately out : and it was night. 

Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of 
man glorified, and God is glorified in him. Little children, yet a little 
while I am with you. Ye shall seek me : and as I said unto the Jews, 
Whither I go, ye cannot come ; so now I say to you. A new com- 
mandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved 
you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that 
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou ? Jesus 
answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now ; but thou 
shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot 
I follow thee now ? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus 
answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake ? Verily, 
verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow till thou hast denied 
me thrice. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 577 

JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS DISCIPLES. 

THESE words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and 
said, Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son 
also may glorify thee : as thou hast given him power over all 
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, 
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the 
earth : I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And 
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory 
which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy 
name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world : thine 
they were, and thou gavest them me ; and they have kept thy word. 
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given 
me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou 
gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that 
I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. 
I pray for them : I pray not for the world, but for them which thou 
hast given me ; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine 
are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the 
world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, 
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that 
they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I 
kept them in thy name : those that thou gavest me I have kept, and 
none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the scripture might 
be fulfilled. 

And now I come to thee : and these things I speak in the world, 
that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given 
them thy word ; and the world hath hated them, because they are not 
of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou 
shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep 
them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of 
the world. Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth. As 
thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into 
37 



Illli» 



iiii; i ! i:ii ; 






■I 
In 

ii 



I- ' 



i 



n- 
- 



II; 







578 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 579 

the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might 
be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but 
for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they 
all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they 
also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast 
sent me. 

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they 
may be one, even as we are one : I in them, and thou in me, that they 
may be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that thou 
hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I 
will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; 
that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me : for thou 
lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, 
the world hath not known thee ; but I have known thee, and these 
have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them 
thy name, and will declare it : that the love wherewith thou hast loved 
me may be in them, and I in them. And when they had sung an 
hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. 

JESUS BETRAYED AND DENIED. 

THEN cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, 
and saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray 
yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of 
Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he 
unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death : tarry ye 
here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on 
his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this 
cup pass from me : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And 
he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto 
Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour ? Watch and 
pray, that ye enter not into temptation : the spirit indeed is willing, 
but the flesh is weak. 

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my 
Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy 



58v/ 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




?&>*•*'* 



will be done. And he came and found them asleep again ; 
for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away 
again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep 
on now, and take your rest : Behold, the hour is at hand, and 
the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, 
let us be going : behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. 

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, 
and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the 
chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed 
him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that 
same is he : hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, 
and said, Hail, master ! and kissed him. And Jesus said unto 
him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and 
laid hands on Jesus, and took him. And, behold, one of them 
which were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, and drew his 
sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off 
his ear. 













CHRIST BEARING HIS CROSS. 







THE CRUCIFIXION. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 581 

Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place : 
for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest 
thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give 
me more than twelve legions of angels ? But how then shall the 
scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be ? In that same hour said 
Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with 
swords and staves for to take me ? I sat daily with you teaching in 
the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that 
the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the dis- 
ciples forsook him and fled. 

Many False Witnesses. 

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the 
high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But 
Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, 
and sat with the servants to see the end. Now the chief priests, and 
elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put 
him to death ; but found none : yea, though many false witnesses 
came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 
and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, 
and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said 
unto him, Answerest thou nothing ? what is it which these witness 
against thee? But Jesus held his peace. 

And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by 
the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son 
of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said : nevertheless I say 
unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right 
hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high 
priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what 
further need have we of witnesses ? behold, now ye have heard his 
blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty 
of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him ; and others 
smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, 
thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee ? 



582 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Now Peter sat without in the palace : and a damsel came unto him, 
saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before 
them all saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was 
gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them 
that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And 
again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a 
while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely 
thou also art one of them ; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then 
began he to curse and swear, saying, I know not the man. And 
immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of 
Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me 
thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. 

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the 
people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death : and when they 
had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius 
Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he 
saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the 
thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 

And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, 
and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver 
pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because 
it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them 
the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called 
The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was 
spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty 
pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the 
children of Israel did value ; and gave them for the potter's field, as 
the Lord appointed me. 

JESUS CONDEMNED AND CRUCIFIED. 

T T^HEN they led Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment, 

\Si it was early, and they themselves went not into the judgment 

hall, lest they should be defiled ; but that they might eat the 

passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusa- 




THE LAST SUPPER. 




CHRIST IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 583 

tion bring ye against this man ? They answered and said unto him, 
If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up 
unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge 
him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is 
not lawful for us to put any man to death : that the saying of 
Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he 
should die. 

Pilate Declares Jesus Faultless. 

Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, 
and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews ? Jesus answered 
him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? 
Pilate answered, Am I a Jew ? Thine own nation and the chief 
priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus 
answered, My kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of 
this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered 
to the Jews ; but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate there- 
fore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou 
sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause 
came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. 
Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate said unto 
him, What is truth ? And when he had said this, he went out again 
unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 

And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirrreth up the people, 
teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 
When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Gali- 
lean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's juris- 
diction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at 
that time. 

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad : for he was 
desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many 
things of him ; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 

Then he questioned with him in many words ; but he answered 
nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 585 

accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, 
and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him 
again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made 
friends together : for before they were at enmity between themselves. 

And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the 
rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man 
unto me, as one that perverteth the people : and, behold, I, having 
examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching 
those things whereof ye accuse him : no, nor yet Herod : for I sent 
you to him ; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I 
will therefore chastise him and release him. 

Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people 
a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, 
called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate 
said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or 
Jesus which is called Christ ? For he knew that for envy they had 
delivered him. 

Condemned to be Crucified. 

When he was sat down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto 
him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man : for I have 
suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the 
chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask 
Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto 
them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you ? They 
said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I clo then with 
Jesus which is called Christ ? They all say unto him, Let him be 
crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? 
But they cried out the more, saying,. Let him be crucified. When 
Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was 
made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, 
saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person : see ye to it. 
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on 
our children, 



586 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, 
and scourged him. And the soldiers 
platted a crown of thorns, and put it 
on his head, and they put on him a 
purple robe, and said, Hail, King of 
the Jews ! and they smote him with 
their hands. Pilate therefore went 
forth again, and saith unto them, 
Behold, I bring him forth to you, 
that ye may know that I find no 
fault in him. Then came Jesus 
forth, wearing the crown of thorns 
and the purple robe. And Pilate 
saith unto them, Behold the man ! 
When the chief priests therefore and 
officers saw him, they cried out, say- 
ing, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate 
saith unto them, Take ye him and 
crucify him : for I find no fault in 
him. The Jews answered him, We 
have a law, and by our law he ought 
to die, because he made himself the 
Son of God. 

When Pilate therefore heard that 
saying, he was the more afraid ; and 
went again into the judgment hall, 
and saith unto Jesus, Whence art 
thou ? But Jesus gave him no 
answer. Then saith Pilate unto 
him, Speakest thou not unto me ? 
knowest thou not that I have power 
to crucify thee, and have power to 




CHRIST BEFORE PILATE. 




CHRIST CROWNED WITH THORNS. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 587 

release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all 
against me, except it were given thee from above : therefore he that 
delivereth me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth 
Pilate sought to release him : but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou 
let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend : whosoever maketh him- 
self a king speaketh against Caesar. 

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, 
and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pave- 
ment, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of 
the passover, and about the sixth hour : and he saith unto the Jews, 
Behold your King ! But they cried out, Away with him, away with 
him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? 
The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then 
delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. 

Simon Compelled to Bear the Cross. 

And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a 
Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, 
that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great 
company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented 
him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, 
weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 

And there were also two others, malefactors, led with him to be put 
to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called 
Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right 
hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive 
them ; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, 
and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also 
with them derided him, saying, He saved others ; let him save himself, 
if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked 
him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be 
the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was 
written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS 
IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 




588 



CHRIST FALLING UNDER THE CROSS. 




m 




CHRIST CARRIED TO THE TOMB. 




THE BURIAL OF CHRIST. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 589 

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, 
saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answer- 
ing rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in 
the same condemnation ? and we indeed justly: for we receive the due 
reward of our deeds : but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he 
said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy king- 
dom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, To-day shalt 
thou be with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and 
there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 

The Mother of Jesus. 

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's 
sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus 
therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, 
he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son ! Then saith he to 
the disciple, Behold thy mother ! And from that hour that disciple 
took her unto his own home. 

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, 
that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set 
a vessel full of vinegar : and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and 
put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore 
had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished : and he bowed his 
head, and gave up the ghost. 

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies 
should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day (for that sab- 
bath day was an high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be 
broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, 
and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified 
with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead 
already, they brake not his legs : but one of the soldiers with a spear 
pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And 
he that saw it bare record, and his record is true : and he knoweth 
that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, 
that the scripture might be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 



590 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 




THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 591 

And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they 
pierced. 

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top 
to the bottom ; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent ; and the 
graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 
and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the 
holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and 
they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and 
those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly, this 
was the Son of God. When the even was come, there came a rich 
man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' dis- 
ciple : he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate 
commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken 
the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own 
new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock : and he rolled a "Teat 
stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary 
Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the 
chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying. Sir, we 
remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three 
days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be 
made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and 
steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: 
so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, 
Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they 
went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a 
watch. 

THE RESURRECTION. 

IN the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day 
of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see 
the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake : for 
the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled 
back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was 



592 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



like lightning, and his raiment white as show : and for fear of him the 
keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered 
and said unto the women, Fear not ye : for I know that ye seek Jesus, 
which was crucified. He is not here : for he is risen, as he said. 
Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell 
his disciples that he is risen from the dead ; and behold, he goeth 
before you into Galilee ; there shall ye see him : lo, I have told you. 




THE RESURRECTION. 

And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy ; 
and did run to bring his disciples word. 

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, 
saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and 
worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid : go tell 
my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. 
Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the 
city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. 



10 I Ml 




38 



593 



594 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 





w^mm 



And when they were assembled 
with the elders, and had taken coun- 
sel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, 
saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, 
and stole him away while we slept. And if 
this come to the governor's ears, we will per- 
suade him, and secure you. So they took the 
money, and did as they were taught : and this 
saying is commonly reported among the Jews 
until this day. Then the eleven disciples went 
into Galilee, where Jesus had appointed them. 

APPEARANCES OF CHRIST. 

AND, behold, two of them went 
that same day to a village 
called Emmaus, which was 
from Jerusalem about threescore fur- 
longs. And they talked together 
of all these things which had hap- 
pened. And it came to pass, that, 
while they communed together 
and reasoned, Jesus himself drew 
near, and went with them. But 
their eyes were holden that they 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 595 

should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of 
communications are these that ye have, one to another, as ye walk, 
and are sad? And the one of them whose name was Cleopas, 
answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and 
hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these 
days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto 
him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty 
in deed and word before God and all the people : and how the chief 
priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and 
have crucified him. 

The Women were Early at the Sepulchre. 

But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed 
Israel : and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things 
were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us 
astonished, which were early at the sepulchre ; and when they found 
not his body, they came saying, that they had also seen a vision of 
angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which 
were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women 
had said : but him they saw not. 

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all 
that the prophets have spoken : ought not Christ to have suffered 
these things, and to enter into his glory ? And beginning at Moses 
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures 
the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, 
whither they went : and he made as though he would have gone 
further . But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us : for it is 
toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry 
with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he 
took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their 
eyes were opened, and they knew him ; and he vanished out of their 
sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within 
us, while he talked with us, by the way, and while he opened to us 
the scriptures ? 



596 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 







°A* 




*b 



Eft 



And the two disciples who had seen the Lord at 
Emmaus rose up at the same hour, and returned to 
Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, 
and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is 
risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And 
they told what things were done in the way, and 
how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the 
midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto 
you. But they were terrified and 
affrighted, and supposed that they 
had seen a spirit. And he said unto 
them, why are ye troubled ? and why 
do thoughts arise in your hearts? 
behold my hands and my feet, that 
it is I myself: handle me, and see; 
for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, 
as ye see me have. And when he 
had thus spoken, he showed them 
his hands and feet. And while they 
yet believed not for joy, and won- 
dered, he said unto them, Have ye 
here any meat? And they gave 
him a piece of a broiled fish, and 



T -old ,1 standi at ^ door, and KnocK: if atvy 
■man Hear mil Voice and open me door.^. 
Will come inPto.Vim, a.nd will sup wilk 
aim» ^ n d K e wi 1^ me . 





CHRIST APPEARING TO MARY AT THE TOMB. 




THE ASCENSION. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 597 

of an honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before them. Then 
said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you : as my Father hath sent 
me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on 
them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever 
sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose sins ye retain 
they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymiu, 
was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore 
said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, 
Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my 
finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I 
will not believe. 

Thomas no Longer Doubts. 

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas 
with them : then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the 
midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he- to Thomas, 
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy 
hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. 
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou 
hast believed : blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have 
believed. 

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto 
you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, 
which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and 
in the psalms concerning me. Then opened he their under- 
standing, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto 
them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and 
to rise from the dead the third day : And that repentance and 
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all 
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these 
things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you : 
but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power 
from on high. 



598 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 

AND he -led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his 
hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed 
them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, 
two men stood by them in white apparel ; which also said, Ye men of 




THE ASCENSION. 

Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus, which 
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye 
have seen him go into heaven. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVEN. 

IT FTER our Lord and Saviour ascended to heaven, the apostles 

i~\ and others who believed on him chose Matthias in the place 

of Judas. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, 

they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 599 

came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled 
all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them 
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they 
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other 
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling 
at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and 
were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own 
language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to 
another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans ? Others 
mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 

I will Pour Out of My Spirit upon all Flesh. 

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said 
unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be 
this known unto you, and hearken to my words : for these are not 
drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel ; And it shall 
come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit 
upon all flesh. 

Ye men of Israel, hear these words : Jesus of Nazareth, a man 
approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, 
which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also 
know : him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and fore- 
knowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified 
and slain : whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of 
death : because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having 
received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed 
forth this, which ye now see and hear. Therefore let all the house of 
Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye 
have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and 
said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what 




600 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 601 

shall we do ? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized 
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, 
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is 
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even 
as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized : and the 
same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellow- 
ship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon 
every soul : and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and 
breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness 
and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the 
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should 
be saved. 

PETER AND JOHN CURE THE LAME MAN. 

NOW Peter and John went up together into the temple at the 
hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame 
from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at 
the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them 
that entered into the temple ; who seeing Peter and John about to go 
into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon 
him, with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, 
expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and 
gold have I none ; but such as I have give I thee : in the name 
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 

And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and imme- 
diately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping 
up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, 
and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking 
and praising God : and they knew that it was he which sat for alms at 
the Beautiful gate of the temple : and they were filled with wonder 
and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the 



602 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran 
together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly 
wondering. 

And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of 
the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that 
they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection 
from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold 
unto the next day : for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them 
which heard the word believed ; and the number of the men was 
about five thousand. 

THE MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN. 

AND Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and 
miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the 
synagogue, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able 
to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they 
suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous 
words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the 
people, and the elders and the scribes, and came upon him, and 
caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, 
which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against 
this holy place, and the law : for we have heard him say that this 
Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the 
customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, 
looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of 
an angel. 

Then said the high priest, Are these things so ? And Stephen 
answered and said, Which of the prophets have not your fathers per- 
secuted ? and they have slain them which showed before of the 
coming of the Just One ; of whom ye have been now the betrayers 
and murderers : who have received the law by the disposition of 
angels, and have not kept it. 

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they 
gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy 




603 



604 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, 
and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see 
the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of 
God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, 
and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and 
stoned him : and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young 
man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling 
upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he 
kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to 
their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there 
was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem ; 
and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea 
and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen 
to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he 
made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men 
and women committed them to prison. 

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL. 

AND Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against 
the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and 
desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if 
he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might 
bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came 
near Damascus : and suddenly there shined round about him a light 
from heaven : and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto 
him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus 
whom thou persecutest. Arise and go into the city, and it shall be 
told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with 
him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul 
arose from the earth ; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man : 
but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And 
he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 




CHRIST MEETING TWO DISCIPLES OX THE ROAD 
TO EMMAUS. 




PETFR LIBERATED FROM PRISON. 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



605 



And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; 
and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, 
I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into 
the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas 
for one called Saul, of Tarsus : for, behold, he prayeth, and hath seen 
in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on 
him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, 
I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy 




CONVERSION OF SAUL. 

saints at Jerusalem : and here he hath authority from the chief priests 
to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go 
thy way : for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before 
the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel : for I will show him 
how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. 

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house ; and putting 
his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that 
appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou 




606 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



GOT 



mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And 
immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales : and he 
received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he 
had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days 
with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he 
preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 

And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to 
kill him : but their laying await was known of Saul. And they 





ANTIOCH 



watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took 
him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when 
Saul was come to Jerusalem, he essayed to join himself to the disciples : 
but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. 
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared 
unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had 
spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the 
name of Jesus. 



608 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Afterward Barnabas went to Tarsus, for to seek Saul : and when he 
had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, 
that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and 
taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in 
Antioch. 

And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the 
spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world : 
which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the dis- 
ciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief 
unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea : which also they did, and 
sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

PETER IN PRISON. 

NOW about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to 
vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother 
of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the 
Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. And when he appre- 
hended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quater- 
nions of soldiers to keep him : intending after Easter to bring him 
forth to the people. Peter was therefore kept in prison : but prayer 
was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And 
when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was 
sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains : and the keepers 
before the door kept the prison. 

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light 
shined in the prison : and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him 
up saying, Arise quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. 
And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, 
and follow me. And he went out, and followed him ; and wist not 
that it was true which was done by the angel ; but thought he saw 
a vision. When they were past the first and second ward, they came 
unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them 



r^ 




610 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

of his own accord : and they went out, and passed on through one 
street ; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter 
was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a .surety, that the Lord 
hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, 
and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 

And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of 
Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark ; where many 
were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door 
of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when 
she knew Peter's voice she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran 
in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto 
her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so 
Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and 
when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 
But be, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, 
declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. 
And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren. 
And he departed and went into another place. 

Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the 
soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought 
for him / and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded 
that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to 
Caesarea, and there abode. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in 
royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 
And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not 
of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because 
he gave not God the glory : and he was eaten of worms, and gave up 
the ghost. 

MISSION OF PAUL AND BARNABAS. 

NOW there were in the Church at Antioch certain prophets and 
teachers ; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and 
Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up 
with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord., 




Gil 



612 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul 
for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had 
fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they then sent 
them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed 
unto Selelucia ; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when 
they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the 
synagogues of the Jews : and they had also John to their minister. 

The Gentiles Receive the Word. 

Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came 
to Perga in Pamphylia : and John departing from them returned to 
Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to 
Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, 
and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets the 
rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, 
if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul 
stood up and preached unto them of Jesus and the resurrection. 
And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles 
besought that these words might be preached to them the next 
sabbath. 

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to 
hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they 
were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were 
spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and 
Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of 
God should first have been spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from 
you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to 
the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have 
set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salva- 
tion unto the ends of the earth 

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the 
word of the Lord : and as many as were ordained to eternal life 
believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all 
the. region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 



613 



and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and 
Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off 
the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the 
disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. 

After this, they preached at Lystra and in many cities, confirming the 
souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and 
that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 




PAUL AND BARNABAS AT LYSTRA. 



And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had 
prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom 
they believed. And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they 
came to Pamphylia. And when they had preached the word in Perga, 
they went down to Attilia. And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence 
they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which 
they had fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the 
church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and 



614 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there 
they abode long time with the disciples. 

And Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our 
brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, 
and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them 
John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take 
him with them, and the contention was so sharp between them that 
they departed asunder one from the other : and so Barnabas took 
Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus ; and Paul chose Silas, and departed, 
being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. And 
he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. 

PAUL PREACHES AT THESSALONICA, 
ATHENS, AND CORINTH. 

NOW when they had passed through Amphipolis and Appolonia, 
they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the 
Jews : and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and 
three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening 
and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again 
from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is 
Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and 
Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief 
women not a few. 

But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto 
them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, 
and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, 
and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found 
them not, they drew Jonas and certain brethren unto the rulers of 
the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are 
come hither also ; whom Jason hath received : and these all do con- 
trary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one 
Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when 
they heard these things. 

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 615 

unto Berea; who coming thither went into the synagogue of the 
Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that 
they received the word with readiness of mind, and searched the 
scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of 
them believed ; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of 
men, not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge 
that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came 
thither also and stirred up the people. And then immediately the 
brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea : but Silas and 
Timotheus abode there still. And they that conducted Paul brought 
him unto Athens : and receiving a commandment unto Silas and 
Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed. 

Paul's Sermon on Mars' Hill. 

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred 
in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Then Paul 
stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I per- 
ceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, 
and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, 
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly 
worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all 
things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, 
dwelleth not in temples made with hands ; neither is worshipped 
with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth 
to all life, and breath, and all things : and hath made of one blood 
all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath 
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habita- 
tion : that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after 
him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us : for in 
him we live, and move, and have our being ; as certain also of your 
own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to 
think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven 
by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked 




616 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 617 

at ; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent : because he 
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteous- 
ness by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given 
assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: 
and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul 
departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, 
and believed : among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a 
woman named Damaris, and others with them. 

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 
and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come 
from Italy, with his wife Priscilla (because that Claudius had com- 
manded all Jews to depart from Rome) ; and came unto them. And 
because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought : 
for by their occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in 
the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 
And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was 
pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 
And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his 
raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads ; I 
am clean : from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 

Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not 
afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace : for I am with thee, and no 
man shall set on thee to hurt thee : for I have much people in this 
city. And he continued there a year and six months teaching the 
word of God among them. 

EUTYCHUS : THE ELDERS OF EPHESUS. 

AND when the Jews laid wait for Paul, as he was about to sail 
into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. And 
we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened 
bread, and came to Troas, where we abode seven days. And upon 
the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break 
bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow r ; and 



618 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in 
the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 

And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, 
being fallen into a deep sleep : and as Paul was long preaching, he 
sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken 
up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him 
said, Trouble not yourselves ; for his life is in him. When he there- 
fore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked 
a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they 
brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. 

The Elders of the Church at Ephesus. 

And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos there intending 
to take in Paul : for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. 
And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to 
Mitylene ; and the next day to Miletus. And from Miletus he sent 
to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they 
were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day 
that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all 
seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many 
tears, and temptations, which befell me by the laying in wait of the 
Jews : and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but 
have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to 
house, testifying both to the Jews, and also the Greeks, repentance 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, 
behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the 
things that shall befall me there : save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth 
in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide. 

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto 
myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, 
which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the 
grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom 
I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no 
more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from 




619 



620 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all 
the counsel of God. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, 
and to the word of his grace. I have coveted no man's silver, or 
gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have 
ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 
I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to 
support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how 
he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with 
them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed 
him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they 
should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the 
ship. 

PAUL SENT UNTO FELIX. 

AND Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and 
brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God to 
this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that 
stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, 
God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge 
me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to 
the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high 
priest ? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high 
priest : for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of 
thy people. 

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing 
lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the 
soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and 
to bring him into the castle. And the night following the Lord stood 
by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul : for as thou hast testified of 
me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. 

Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and 
brought him by night to Antipatris. On the morrow they left the 
horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle : who, when 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 621 

they came to Ceesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, 
presented Paul also before him. And when the governor had read 
the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he under- 
stood that he was of Cilicia ; I will hear thee, said he, when thine 
accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in 
Herod's judgment hall. 

And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the 
elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the 
governor against Paul. And when he was called forth, Tertullus 
began to accuse him, saying, We have found this man a pestilent 
fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the 
world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes : who also hath 
gone about to profane the temple : whom we took, and would have 
judged according to our law. But the chief captain Lysias came upon 
us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, com- 
manding his accusers to come unto thee : by examining of whom 
thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse 
him. And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. 

Paul Justifies Himself before Felix. 

Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him co speak, 
answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a 
judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: 
because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve 
days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither 
found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the 
people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city. But this I confess 
unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the 
God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and 
in the prophets : and have hope toward God, which they themselves 
also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the 
just and the unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always 
a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. 

And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge 




622 



THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 623 

of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain 
shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. And he 
commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and 
that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come 
unto him. And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife 
Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him 
concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, 
temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go 
thy way for this time ; when I have a convenient season, I will call for 
thee. He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, 
that he might loose him : wherefore he sent for him oftener, and com- 
muned with him. But after two years Porcius Festus came into 
Felix's room : and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left 
Paul bound. 

PAUL SENT TO ROME. 

T "THEN it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they 
j/SL delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named 
Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. And entering into a 
ship of Adramyttium, we launched, and the next day touched at 
Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty 
to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched 
from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were con- 
trary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, 
we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there the centurion found 
a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. And 
when we had sailed slowly many days, the wind not suffering us, we 
sailed under Crete, over against Salmone, and, hardly passing it, came 
unto a place which is called The fair havens ; nigh whereunto was the 
city of Lasea. 

Now when much time was spent, and sailing was now dangerous, 
because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, and 
said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and 
much damage, not only to the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 



624 THE NEW TESTAMENT STORY. 

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the 
ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And when 
the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their 
purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close to Crete. 

But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, and 
when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we 
let her drive. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the 
next day they lightened the ship ; and the third day we cast out with 
our own hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor 
stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope 
that we should be saved, was then taken away. But after long 
abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye 
should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and 
to have gained this harm and loss. ■a 

And now I exhort you to be of good cheer : for there shall be no 
loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood 
by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 
saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Caesar : and, lo, 
God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, 
be of good cheer : for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was 
told me. 

And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners 
to the captain of the guard : but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself 
with a soldier that kept him. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his 
own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching 
the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the 
Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 



JUN 7 



j fu 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS jn 

1 1 1 1 ii ii in ill i mil ii 

022 211 315 5 






;;.;:;^;:^.:::,:!::7; 
■ 



